My vision started to blur at 40, the fine lines and crows feet became more prominent at 45 and at 47 I just started showing grey. This aging thing really sucks! I guess I always thought I would stay young. I find myself digging through memories, bell bottoms, fringe jackets, flower power, Beatles Abby Road album, Grand Funk Railroad 8-track! My teenage son's cannot imagine an existance before cell phones, pda's, nintendo, mp3's. Imagine what the future holds only 10 years from now? Anyway, I'm having a hard time aging gracefully. I sold the family van and bought a sports car with $2500. tires and rims! I still wear jeans and have long hair and on occasion still go braless- Whats wrong with me? How's everyone else doing?
How are all the mid to late 40's people dealing with aging?
Well I love the aging because I do not like the alternative. I like living!! Yes it does have its draw backs. The vision, a few pains here and there. But just because you are getting older does not mean you are dead you can still do fun things. Memories are great! Just make some new memories every year!!! I still ride 4 wheelers playing in the mud on them. Hey get out there and enjoy your life you only live once. You have earned the crows feet especially if you have kids!!!!! lol
Reply:NOTHING WRONG WITH ANYTHING U SAID EVERYTHING SOUNDS GREAT YOU HAVE NOT CHANGE YOU HAVE NOT GOT OLDER U HAVE GOT BETTER.WHY SHOULD U CHANGE THINGS THAT U ENJOY.EVERYTHING WE DID IN THE PAST IS COMING BACK. SO DO NT CHANGE. PS. U AGE OR U DIE SOUNDS LIKE U R VERY COOL
Reply:sounds like youre having a mid life crisis, just accept it and you`ll be much better off, with age comes wisdom,but looks like you missed the boat on that one,lol
Reply:Well,the biggest setback for me is the being alone part.Ive learned that everyone has a reason to say i love you,meaning you have something i want or there is something you can do for me at this time.It's very sad because i always wanted to grow old with that special lady.Looks like i'll be a lonely,drulling old man.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
What do you think of the tiller attachments for gas powered trimmers?
I am considering buying a smaller tiller attachement for my 2 cyl gas powered craftsman trimmer. Poulan, craftsman, troybilt they are all the same. Anyone have any experience good or bad with them. I intend to till around plants in my many gardens and around new trees and bushes I plan on planting. This is not in replacement for my bigger garden tiller just a more portable and manageable size for flower garden and tree work.
What do you think of the tiller attachments for gas powered trimmers?
They work fine if your soil is loamy and very manageable. If your soil has a lot of clay in it and is not too manageable, they don't work too well, but then neither does a garden tiller.
Reply:if your only using it for small areas around plants it would be good but large expanses arent much fun .
Reply:for small areas only. for larger areas, get the full sized version
Reply:great idea.
What are some of the best hotels
What do you think of the tiller attachments for gas powered trimmers?
They work fine if your soil is loamy and very manageable. If your soil has a lot of clay in it and is not too manageable, they don't work too well, but then neither does a garden tiller.
Reply:if your only using it for small areas around plants it would be good but large expanses arent much fun .
Reply:for small areas only. for larger areas, get the full sized version
Reply:great idea.
What are some of the best hotels
Why don't we pipe in CO2 from power plants into greenhouses?
Since burning things (like coal and oil) gives off CO2, how hard could it be to pipe that air into a greenhouse by a powerplant and let plants that grow well in high CO2 environments absorb it. It would help reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and then they can also sell flowers on the side or something.
Why don't we pipe in CO2 from power plants into greenhouses?
Burning any product (aka "combustion") produces more than just CO2. It also produces carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon gases, nitrogen oxide (all poisonous to humans). Combustion also produces particulate matter otherwise known as soot. Soot settles on the leaves of the plants, blocking the light needed for photosynthesis, killing the plant. Hydrocarbon gases also kill plants. Hydrocarbons also slowly react with synthetic components of the structure (plastic plumbing, electrical wire insulation, and the clear poly covering - greenhouses aren't made with glass covers anymore). Allowing the greenhouse to fill with CO2, carbon monoxide, and other gases would make it lethal for employees to maintain the plants without breathing air from an outside source.
In my greenhouse and greenhouses I worked in before being a firefighter, we had to have exaughst stacks on the heaters (the sun can only heat so much in the winter) to vent combustion products outside of the greenhouse.
Reply:CO2 is heavier than air and would just fall to the floor. It would have to be continually "stirred up" for it to help the plants.
Working in a CO2 environment would be extremely dangerous to us oxygen breathing folks.
Reply:We already do and we call the greenhouse the earth. If the whole planet can't handle the excess CO2 how would you expect a few acres of inclosed plants to handle it all ???
Reply:Too much CO2 so the greenhouse would be rather huge. Add to it that e.g. from cars it's hard to capture it.
The best thing to do is not to burn oil and coal (esp. coal) at all and stay with nuclear power, do research into nuclear fusion and accelerate that, and try to find really clean renewable systems in addition to the nuclear power.
We also need take care that our alternate systems (e.g. photo voltaic cells) are not polluting in other ways than CO2 by e.g. using GaAs based technology.
Once you have an excess of power that does not pollute you can conver CO2 into hydrocarbons and water makign them harmless till they get burned.
In the mean time we need to make sure e.g. the tropical rain forests aren;t cut down any further, but instead are allowed to increase in size.
Reply:If we're talking of investment, what can the business of the power plant gain from the maintenance of the greenhouse if it is to construct and pay for the cost of the CO2 pipe?
These are all considerations thought of in recycling operations too.
Why don't we pipe in CO2 from power plants into greenhouses?
Burning any product (aka "combustion") produces more than just CO2. It also produces carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon gases, nitrogen oxide (all poisonous to humans). Combustion also produces particulate matter otherwise known as soot. Soot settles on the leaves of the plants, blocking the light needed for photosynthesis, killing the plant. Hydrocarbon gases also kill plants. Hydrocarbons also slowly react with synthetic components of the structure (plastic plumbing, electrical wire insulation, and the clear poly covering - greenhouses aren't made with glass covers anymore). Allowing the greenhouse to fill with CO2, carbon monoxide, and other gases would make it lethal for employees to maintain the plants without breathing air from an outside source.
In my greenhouse and greenhouses I worked in before being a firefighter, we had to have exaughst stacks on the heaters (the sun can only heat so much in the winter) to vent combustion products outside of the greenhouse.
Reply:CO2 is heavier than air and would just fall to the floor. It would have to be continually "stirred up" for it to help the plants.
Working in a CO2 environment would be extremely dangerous to us oxygen breathing folks.
Reply:We already do and we call the greenhouse the earth. If the whole planet can't handle the excess CO2 how would you expect a few acres of inclosed plants to handle it all ???
Reply:Too much CO2 so the greenhouse would be rather huge. Add to it that e.g. from cars it's hard to capture it.
The best thing to do is not to burn oil and coal (esp. coal) at all and stay with nuclear power, do research into nuclear fusion and accelerate that, and try to find really clean renewable systems in addition to the nuclear power.
We also need take care that our alternate systems (e.g. photo voltaic cells) are not polluting in other ways than CO2 by e.g. using GaAs based technology.
Once you have an excess of power that does not pollute you can conver CO2 into hydrocarbons and water makign them harmless till they get burned.
In the mean time we need to make sure e.g. the tropical rain forests aren;t cut down any further, but instead are allowed to increase in size.
Reply:If we're talking of investment, what can the business of the power plant gain from the maintenance of the greenhouse if it is to construct and pay for the cost of the CO2 pipe?
These are all considerations thought of in recycling operations too.
What is the different between Acrylic powder & Crystal Powder?
I had my nail done lately with crsytal looking base (with extention) and 3D flower on top. All being done with the mix of power + liquid. Can anyone tell me what is the product being used? Is it called acrylic nails or crystal nails?
What is the different between Acrylic powder %26amp; Crystal Powder?
Crystal nails are simply a clear tip with clear acrylic overlaid on the entire enhancement . So, yes, they are acrylic and nothing out of the ordinary. Don't pay anything extra for these because you would be getting scammed if you did. There is no such acrylic product called 'crystal' powder. It doesn't exist...
Edit: Most, if not all of the 3D flowers I have ever seen have been made from acrylic. Your choices are limited with this because the flowers need to be 'built' up in stages starting with the basic flower shape and then adding layers of additional acrylic to form the leaves and whatever else the tech wants to add to them.
Buying acrylic products is easy. But, if you are not licensed, yiu will have somewhat of a problem buying professional grade nail products - acrylic or gel. But, it's not impossible. I don't recommend doing your own nails unless you've had formal training in it, but I certainly cannot stop you from doing it. Just be careful if you try it on your own. Keep the monomer (the liquid) and the nail prep products away from your skin. Use primer very sparingly. Keep the acrylic away from your cuticles and other surrounding skin as well. Repeated and prolonged exposure to these can result in allergic reactions called contact dermatitis. Usually, once you get this, it lasts a lifetime. That would mean no more acrylic nails - at least in most cases that's what it comes down to. Also, don't remove too much off the top of your nail as many discount salons do. Only a gentle hand filing with a 240 grit file is needed. The purpose is to remove the natural shine of the natural nail - not to make the surface 'roughed' up as many people would tell you is needed for the acrylic to adhere to. That is not true. The shine must be removed, and the nail has to be totally free of any dust, oils, and other things which may prevent the acrylic from forming a bond with your natural nails. This can be done with straight acetone, or you can buy prep products made for this purpose.
If you want to do it on your own, there are several good books available which are used for training nail techs in the basics of nail anatomy and nail care. They cover the application of acrylic nails and gels as well, but not to a great extent. It may be jumping ahead a bit, but here are a few videos which show proper methods of acrylic application. The first one is from a professional nail company called Young Nails. They have excellent products - I use them often. But, they are very strict about selling to only licensed individuals only. Anyway, here are a few videos that you can watch to get the basic idea:
http://www.youngnails.com/g?t=video
http://www.youngnails.com/g?t=stepByStep
(step by step descriptions for various techniques)
http://hooked-on-nails.com/
(Read though the wealth of nail articles here. Very good instructional site).
http://www.nailsplash.com/
(another educational site)
http://www.tammytaylornails.com/Video/Ta...
(A ton of videos here covering a lot of different topics in nail care and other nail related issues)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Omon9ccUK...
http://www.youtube.com/user/doiamailbox
(look through this page. He has lots of great videos available to view. He's very well known, and highly respected within the nail industry. He is a true nail pro. Also, check out his myspace page).
http://www.amazon.com/Miladys-Standard-N...
(A good resource book. Used in many nail teaching programs. A bit expensive though, but good.)
Those links should get you an idea of how to do nails properly. I hope they help. As for nail supplies, here are a few links that I THINK are not too picky about selling professioanl products to non-professionals. Like I said, I think they aren't picky, but I am not sure. Give it a try. But, get professional products if at all possible. Avoid going to places like walmart and in drug stores and buying those $8-$15 kits. They aren't good quality at all. If you are going to do it, do it right. Sally Beauty sells a pretty good brand called Aspire:
http://www.sallybeauty.com/on/demandware...
I have tried this brand a couple times and they aren't bad at all. And you don't need a license to buy these products from them. Just a thought. But no matter what, be prepared to invest a modest sum of money just to get all the products you need to get started. You will probably spend about $75-$100 just for the very basics, if not more. Nail products add up in terms of money invested very, very quickly. Just 8 ounces of monomer costs about $25-$30 by itself. A GOOD brush will cost $35-$45. Also, I suggest buying nail tips and practicing your application techniques on them for a while before trying it on your own nails. Get your liquid/powder ratios down pat. It is a critical component of acrylic nails. Too wet, or too dry of a mixture WILL cause problems. Anyway, here are a few sites that maybe you can buy professional products from?
http://www.nailiteinc.com/
http://www.tammytaylornails.com/Articles...
(You need to register on the site to buy products. Just make up a salon name and put it in the blank box when it asks. You MAY have luck buying her products without a license. They are very good, though not one of my favorites. Be aware that once you sign up that they will constantly send you emails trying to sell you more stuff, so you may wan tto use a disposable email address like a hotmail or yahoo account that you setup just for this purpose?).
http://www.premiernailsource.com/catalog...
http://www.buynail.com/index.asp?ID=6%26amp;Pa...
http://www.idonails.com/
There. That should keep you busy for a while, LOL!
I hope this helps!
What is the different between Acrylic powder %26amp; Crystal Powder?
Crystal nails are simply a clear tip with clear acrylic overlaid on the entire enhancement . So, yes, they are acrylic and nothing out of the ordinary. Don't pay anything extra for these because you would be getting scammed if you did. There is no such acrylic product called 'crystal' powder. It doesn't exist...
Edit: Most, if not all of the 3D flowers I have ever seen have been made from acrylic. Your choices are limited with this because the flowers need to be 'built' up in stages starting with the basic flower shape and then adding layers of additional acrylic to form the leaves and whatever else the tech wants to add to them.
Buying acrylic products is easy. But, if you are not licensed, yiu will have somewhat of a problem buying professional grade nail products - acrylic or gel. But, it's not impossible. I don't recommend doing your own nails unless you've had formal training in it, but I certainly cannot stop you from doing it. Just be careful if you try it on your own. Keep the monomer (the liquid) and the nail prep products away from your skin. Use primer very sparingly. Keep the acrylic away from your cuticles and other surrounding skin as well. Repeated and prolonged exposure to these can result in allergic reactions called contact dermatitis. Usually, once you get this, it lasts a lifetime. That would mean no more acrylic nails - at least in most cases that's what it comes down to. Also, don't remove too much off the top of your nail as many discount salons do. Only a gentle hand filing with a 240 grit file is needed. The purpose is to remove the natural shine of the natural nail - not to make the surface 'roughed' up as many people would tell you is needed for the acrylic to adhere to. That is not true. The shine must be removed, and the nail has to be totally free of any dust, oils, and other things which may prevent the acrylic from forming a bond with your natural nails. This can be done with straight acetone, or you can buy prep products made for this purpose.
If you want to do it on your own, there are several good books available which are used for training nail techs in the basics of nail anatomy and nail care. They cover the application of acrylic nails and gels as well, but not to a great extent. It may be jumping ahead a bit, but here are a few videos which show proper methods of acrylic application. The first one is from a professional nail company called Young Nails. They have excellent products - I use them often. But, they are very strict about selling to only licensed individuals only. Anyway, here are a few videos that you can watch to get the basic idea:
http://www.youngnails.com/g?t=video
http://www.youngnails.com/g?t=stepByStep
(step by step descriptions for various techniques)
http://hooked-on-nails.com/
(Read though the wealth of nail articles here. Very good instructional site).
http://www.nailsplash.com/
(another educational site)
http://www.tammytaylornails.com/Video/Ta...
(A ton of videos here covering a lot of different topics in nail care and other nail related issues)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Omon9ccUK...
http://www.youtube.com/user/doiamailbox
(look through this page. He has lots of great videos available to view. He's very well known, and highly respected within the nail industry. He is a true nail pro. Also, check out his myspace page).
http://www.amazon.com/Miladys-Standard-N...
(A good resource book. Used in many nail teaching programs. A bit expensive though, but good.)
Those links should get you an idea of how to do nails properly. I hope they help. As for nail supplies, here are a few links that I THINK are not too picky about selling professioanl products to non-professionals. Like I said, I think they aren't picky, but I am not sure. Give it a try. But, get professional products if at all possible. Avoid going to places like walmart and in drug stores and buying those $8-$15 kits. They aren't good quality at all. If you are going to do it, do it right. Sally Beauty sells a pretty good brand called Aspire:
http://www.sallybeauty.com/on/demandware...
I have tried this brand a couple times and they aren't bad at all. And you don't need a license to buy these products from them. Just a thought. But no matter what, be prepared to invest a modest sum of money just to get all the products you need to get started. You will probably spend about $75-$100 just for the very basics, if not more. Nail products add up in terms of money invested very, very quickly. Just 8 ounces of monomer costs about $25-$30 by itself. A GOOD brush will cost $35-$45. Also, I suggest buying nail tips and practicing your application techniques on them for a while before trying it on your own nails. Get your liquid/powder ratios down pat. It is a critical component of acrylic nails. Too wet, or too dry of a mixture WILL cause problems. Anyway, here are a few sites that maybe you can buy professional products from?
http://www.nailiteinc.com/
http://www.tammytaylornails.com/Articles...
(You need to register on the site to buy products. Just make up a salon name and put it in the blank box when it asks. You MAY have luck buying her products without a license. They are very good, though not one of my favorites. Be aware that once you sign up that they will constantly send you emails trying to sell you more stuff, so you may wan tto use a disposable email address like a hotmail or yahoo account that you setup just for this purpose?).
http://www.premiernailsource.com/catalog...
http://www.buynail.com/index.asp?ID=6%26amp;Pa...
http://www.idonails.com/
There. That should keep you busy for a while, LOL!
I hope this helps!
What department store can I buy Canverse?(I included a pic.)??
I want these shoes called "Flower power"
http://converse.com/#prodctdetail but I want to buy these at a cheaper store than converse .com . Help me find them? Esay points given for this. Links would be great!!!
What department store can I buy Canverse?(I included a pic.)??
I've been buying some shoes from a great shoes website.They have a positive manner of customer service. Then I got cheap and great products with a good mood . They offer the different shoes to different types of people.There are some
%26lt;a href="http://www.kanaccasshoes.com"%26gt; cheap women’s sandals %26lt;/a%26gt;, cheap women’s sandals,
%26lt;a href="http://www.kanaccasshoes.com"%26gt; cheap casual shoes %26lt;/a%26gt;, cheap casual shoes,
%26lt;a href="http://www.kanaccasshoes.com"%26gt; women’s boots %26lt;/a%26gt;, women’s boots ,women’s athletic shoes,
%26lt;a href=" %26gt;http://www.kanaccasshoes.com"%26gt; kid’s sandals %26lt;/a%26gt; , kid’s sandals ,kid’s athletic shoes,kid’s casual shoes,
%26lt;a href="http://www.kanaccasshoes.com"%26gt; men’s athletic shoes %26lt;/a%26gt;, men’s athletic shoes ,men’s casual shoes,men’s sandals, unisex shoes,
%26lt;a href="http://www.kanaccasshoes.com"%26gt; fashion clothes %26lt;/a%26gt;, fashion clothes and so on.
You can buy many shoes for very little money.And it is free shipping to anywhere %26amp; everywhere in the world.
I like go shopping in http://www.kanaccasshoes.com.
It is cheap and convenience.
Reply:try going here
http://www.like.com/womensshoes-converse...
Reply:http://www.shiekhshoes.com/store/?gclid=...
Reply:TJ max I don't really like shopping there but they have converse in every pattern, color, and style available.
Reply:sorry, Fred Myer has no link but i think i've seen the shoes there before!!!
u could also maybe try journeys- they probely wont have it but u could try :)
hope i helped
Buh Bye
http://converse.com/#prodctdetail but I want to buy these at a cheaper store than converse .com . Help me find them? Esay points given for this. Links would be great!!!
What department store can I buy Canverse?(I included a pic.)??
I've been buying some shoes from a great shoes website.They have a positive manner of customer service. Then I got cheap and great products with a good mood . They offer the different shoes to different types of people.There are some
%26lt;a href="http://www.kanaccasshoes.com"%26gt; cheap women’s sandals %26lt;/a%26gt;, cheap women’s sandals,
%26lt;a href="http://www.kanaccasshoes.com"%26gt; cheap casual shoes %26lt;/a%26gt;, cheap casual shoes,
%26lt;a href="http://www.kanaccasshoes.com"%26gt; women’s boots %26lt;/a%26gt;, women’s boots ,women’s athletic shoes,
%26lt;a href=" %26gt;http://www.kanaccasshoes.com"%26gt; kid’s sandals %26lt;/a%26gt; , kid’s sandals ,kid’s athletic shoes,kid’s casual shoes,
%26lt;a href="http://www.kanaccasshoes.com"%26gt; men’s athletic shoes %26lt;/a%26gt;, men’s athletic shoes ,men’s casual shoes,men’s sandals, unisex shoes,
%26lt;a href="http://www.kanaccasshoes.com"%26gt; fashion clothes %26lt;/a%26gt;, fashion clothes and so on.
You can buy many shoes for very little money.And it is free shipping to anywhere %26amp; everywhere in the world.
I like go shopping in http://www.kanaccasshoes.com.
It is cheap and convenience.
Reply:try going here
http://www.like.com/womensshoes-converse...
Reply:http://www.shiekhshoes.com/store/?gclid=...
Reply:TJ max I don't really like shopping there but they have converse in every pattern, color, and style available.
Reply:sorry, Fred Myer has no link but i think i've seen the shoes there before!!!
u could also maybe try journeys- they probely wont have it but u could try :)
hope i helped
Buh Bye
Monday, May 11, 2009
Does anyone recognise this Film? I would love to know the title. I have been looking for it for years!?
I remember seeing it on TV Maybe about 10 or 15 years ago. I Think it is 70's or possibly 80's.
The film is set in (I think a Log Cabin) I seem to remember it being snowy outside.
The premise of the film is that a couple meet at the cabin on the same date every year. They conduct an affair by meeting up at the same place on the same dates each year.
The film spans through the decades so you see them in the various fashions of the day. I remember a scene where the woman is dressed as a 60's Flower Power Hippy.
From my recollection the film is only set in the cabin, so you only get to know what has been happening in their respective lives through the conversations they have with each other.
I cannot remeber there being any other characters in the film and I cannot remember how it ends.
I think it is fairly lighthearted (perhaps a comedy) not sure. Does Anyone recognise it??
Does anyone recognise this Film? I would love to know the title. I have been looking for it for years!?
The film is called Same Time Next Year. It stars Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn (I think).
Reply:It's "Same Time Next Year"....
choosing ice skates
The film is set in (I think a Log Cabin) I seem to remember it being snowy outside.
The premise of the film is that a couple meet at the cabin on the same date every year. They conduct an affair by meeting up at the same place on the same dates each year.
The film spans through the decades so you see them in the various fashions of the day. I remember a scene where the woman is dressed as a 60's Flower Power Hippy.
From my recollection the film is only set in the cabin, so you only get to know what has been happening in their respective lives through the conversations they have with each other.
I cannot remeber there being any other characters in the film and I cannot remember how it ends.
I think it is fairly lighthearted (perhaps a comedy) not sure. Does Anyone recognise it??
Does anyone recognise this Film? I would love to know the title. I have been looking for it for years!?
The film is called Same Time Next Year. It stars Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn (I think).
Reply:It's "Same Time Next Year"....
choosing ice skates
How did Cat Stevens come to Islam ?
All I have to say is all what you know already, to confirm what you already know, the message of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) as given by God - the Religion of Truth. As human beings we are given a consciousness and a duty that has placed us at the top of creation. Man is created to be God's deputy on earth, and it is important to realize the obligation to rid ourselves of all illusions and to make our lives a preparation for the next life. Anybody who misses this chance is not likely to be given another, to be brought back again and again, because it says in Qur'an Majeed that when man is brought to account, he will say, {O Lord, send us back and give us another chance} The Lord will say, {If I send you back you will do the same}
MY EARLY RELIGIOUS UPBRINGING
I was brought up in the modern world of all the luxury and the high life of show business. I was born in a Christian home, but we know that every child is born in his original nature - it is only his parents that turn him to this or that religion. I was given this religion (Christianity) and thought this way. I was taught that God exists, but there was no direct contact with God, so we had to make contact with Him through Jesus - he was in fact the door to God. This was more or less accepted by me, but I did not swallow it all.
I looked at some of the statues of Jesus; they were just stones with no life. And when they said that God is three, I was puzzled even more but could not argue. I more or less believed it, because I had to have respect for the faith of my parents.
POP STAR
Gradually I became alienated from this religious upbringing. I started making music. I wanted to be a big star. All those things I saw in the films and on the media took hold of me, and perhaps I thought this was my God, the goal of making money. I had an uncle who had a beautiful car. "Well," I said, "he has it made. He has a lot of money." The people around me influenced me to think that this was it; this world was their God.
I decided then that this was the life for me; to make a lot of money, have a 'great life.' Now my examples were the pop stars. I started making songs, but deep down I had a feeling for humanity, a feeling that if I became rich I would help the needy. (It says in the Qur'an, we make a promise, but when we make something, we want to hold onto it and become greedy.)
So what happened was that I became very famous. I was still a teenager, my name and photo were splashed in all the media. They made me larger than life, so I wanted to live larger than life and the only way to do that was to be intoxicated (with liquor and drugs).
IN HOSPITAL
After a year of financial success and 'high' living, I became very ill, contracted TB and had to be hospitalized. It was then that I started to think: What was to happen to me? Was I just a body, and my goal in life was merely to satisfy this body? I realized now that this calamity was a blessing given to me by Allah, a chance to open my eyes - "Why am I here? Why am I in bed?" - and I started looking for some of the answers. At that time there was great interest in the Eastern mysticism. I began reading, and the first thing I began to become aware of was death, and that the soul moves on; it does not stop. I felt I was taking the road to bliss and high accomplishment. I started meditating and even became a vegetarian. I now believed in 'peace and flower power,' and this was the general trend. But what I did believe in particular was that I was not just a body. This awareness came to me at the hospital.
One day when I was walking and I was caught in the rain, I began running to the shelter and then I realized, 'Wait a minute, my body is getting wet, my body is telling me I am getting wet.' This made me think of a saying that the body is like a donkey, and it has to be trained where it has to go. Otherwise, the donkey will lead you where it wants to go.
Then I realized I had a will, a God-given gift: follow the will of God. I was fascinated by the new termino- logy I was learning in the Eastern religion. By now I was fed up with Christianity. I started making music again and this time I started reflecting my own thoughts. I remember the lyric of one of my songs. It goes like this: "I wish I knew, I wish I knew what makes the Heaven, what makes the Hell. Do I get to know You in my bed or some dusty cell while others reach the big hotel?" and I knew I was on the Path.
I also wrote another song, "The Way to Find God Out." I became even more famous in the world of music. I really had a difficult time because I was getting rich and famous, and at the same time, I was sincerely searching for the Truth. Then I came to a stage where I decided that Buddhism is all right and noble, but I was not ready to leave the world. I was too attached to the world and was not prepared to become a monk and to isolate myself from society.
I tried Zen and Ching, numerology, tarot cards and astrology. I tried to look back into the Bible and could not find anything. At this time I did not know anything about Islam, and then, what I regarded as a miracle occurred. My brother had visited the mosque in Jerusalem and was greatly impressed that while on the one hand it throbbed with life (unlike the churches and synagogues which were empty), on the other hand, an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity prevailed.
THE QUR'AN
When he came to London he brought back a translation of the Qur'an, which he gave to me. He did not become a Muslim, but he felt something in this religion, and thought I might find something in it also.
And when I received the book, a guidance that would explain everything to me - who I was; what was the purpose of life; what was the reality and what would be the reality; and where I came from - I realized that this was the true religion; religion not in the sense the West understands it, not the type for only your old age. In the West, whoever wishes to embrace a religion and make it his only way of life is deemed a fanatic. I was not a fanatic, I was at first confused between the body and the soul. Then I realized that the body and soul are not apart and you don't have to go to the mountain to be religious. We must follow the will of God. Then we can rise higher than the angels. The first thing I wanted to do now was to be a Muslim.
I realized that everything belongs to God, that slumber does not overtake Him. He created everything. At this point I began to lose the pride in me, because hereto I had thought the reason I was here was because of my own greatness. But I realized that I did not create myself, and the whole purpose of my being here was to submit to the teaching that has been perfected by the religion we know as Al-Islam. At this point I started discovering my faith. I felt I was a Muslim. On reading the Qur'an, I now realized that all the Prophets sent by God brought the same message. Why then were the Jews and Christians different? I know now how the Jews did not accept Jesus as the Messiah and that they had changed His Word. Even the Christians misunderstand God's Word and called Jesus the son of God. Everything made so much sense. This is the beauty of the Qur'an; it asks you to reflect and reason, and not to worship the sun or moon but the One Who has created everything. The Qur'an asks man to reflect upon the sun and moon and God's creation in general. Do you realize how different the sun is from the moon? They are at varying distances from the earth, yet appear the same size to us; at times one seems to overlap the other.
Even when many of the astronauts go to space, they see the insignificant size of the earth and vastness of space. They become very religious, because they have seen the Signs of Allah.
When I read the Qur'an further, it talked about prayer, kindness and charity. I was not a Muslim yet, but I felt that the only answer for me was the Qur'an, and God had sent it to me, and I kept it a secret. But the Qur'an also speaks on different l I began to understand it on anothlevel, where the Qur'an says, {Those who believe do not take disbelievers for friends and the believers are brothers} Thus at this point I wished to meet my Muslim brothers.
CONVERSION
Then I decided to journey to Jerusalem (as my brother had done). At Jerusalem, I went to the mosque and sat down. A man asked me what I wanted. I told him I was a Muslim. He asked what was my name. I told him, "Stevens." He was confused. I then joined the prayer, though not so successfully. Back in London, I met a sister called Nafisa. I told her I wanted to embrace Islam and she directed me to the New Regent Mosque. This was in 1977, about one and a half years after I received the Qur'an.
Now I realized that I must get rid of my pride, get rid of Iblis, and face one direction. So on a Friday, after Jumma' I went to the Imam and declared my faith (the Kalima) at this hands. You have before you someone who had achieved fame and fortune. But guidance was something that eluded me, no matter how hard I tried, until I was shown the Qur'an. Now I realize I can get in direct contact with God, unlike Christianity or any other religion. As one Hindu lady told me, "You don't understand the Hindus. We believe in one God; we use these objects (idols) to merely concentrate." What she was saying was that in order to reach God, one has to create associates, that are idols for the purpose. But Islam removes all these barriers. The only thing that moves the believers from the disbelievers is the salat. This is the process of purification.
Finally I wish to say that everything I do is for the pleasure of Allah and pray that you gain some inspirations from my experiences. Furthermore, I would like to stress that I did not come into contact with any
Muslim before I embraced Islam. I read the Qur'an first and realized that no person is perfect. Islam is perfect, and if we imitate the conduct of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) we will be successful. May Allah give us guidance to follow the path of the ummah of Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam). Ameen!
How did Cat Stevens come to Islam ?
Borther I m a born muslim and I m so moved by what you have wrote ... today I came online feeling sad and miserable ... Reading what you wrote makes me realize How lucky I m to be a Muslim ... Regardless of what people say abotu muslims ... WE have turned ignorrant towards our own religion ... and taking this for granted ... Allah has already blessed HIm ... Allhumdulilah ... may he give us hidayat too
Reply:Same way everyone does.
They gave him a choice between death and Islam.
.
Reply:He's re-thinking Islam, and plans to start singing again.
Reply:Cat/Yusuf is the man, 'nuff said
Reply:Assalamu Alaikum,
Please visit the office site of Yusuf Islam (formely Cat Stevens) and watch his journey to Islam.
http://www.yusufislam.com/
http://www.mountainoflight.co.uk/
Reply:assalamoalaikum warahmatullah ! well done brother:) JazakAllah Khair
Reply:GODSHEW---He is NOT rethinking Islam---He already is singing again(I have his CD) ---he never stopped singing in fact (He's been singing Islamic songs forever now). He is rethinking the playing of certain musical instruments (the guitar for example). Actually, he stopped thinking about it and did it!
His new CD is under the name YUSUF An other cup of tea
MY EARLY RELIGIOUS UPBRINGING
I was brought up in the modern world of all the luxury and the high life of show business. I was born in a Christian home, but we know that every child is born in his original nature - it is only his parents that turn him to this or that religion. I was given this religion (Christianity) and thought this way. I was taught that God exists, but there was no direct contact with God, so we had to make contact with Him through Jesus - he was in fact the door to God. This was more or less accepted by me, but I did not swallow it all.
I looked at some of the statues of Jesus; they were just stones with no life. And when they said that God is three, I was puzzled even more but could not argue. I more or less believed it, because I had to have respect for the faith of my parents.
POP STAR
Gradually I became alienated from this religious upbringing. I started making music. I wanted to be a big star. All those things I saw in the films and on the media took hold of me, and perhaps I thought this was my God, the goal of making money. I had an uncle who had a beautiful car. "Well," I said, "he has it made. He has a lot of money." The people around me influenced me to think that this was it; this world was their God.
I decided then that this was the life for me; to make a lot of money, have a 'great life.' Now my examples were the pop stars. I started making songs, but deep down I had a feeling for humanity, a feeling that if I became rich I would help the needy. (It says in the Qur'an, we make a promise, but when we make something, we want to hold onto it and become greedy.)
So what happened was that I became very famous. I was still a teenager, my name and photo were splashed in all the media. They made me larger than life, so I wanted to live larger than life and the only way to do that was to be intoxicated (with liquor and drugs).
IN HOSPITAL
After a year of financial success and 'high' living, I became very ill, contracted TB and had to be hospitalized. It was then that I started to think: What was to happen to me? Was I just a body, and my goal in life was merely to satisfy this body? I realized now that this calamity was a blessing given to me by Allah, a chance to open my eyes - "Why am I here? Why am I in bed?" - and I started looking for some of the answers. At that time there was great interest in the Eastern mysticism. I began reading, and the first thing I began to become aware of was death, and that the soul moves on; it does not stop. I felt I was taking the road to bliss and high accomplishment. I started meditating and even became a vegetarian. I now believed in 'peace and flower power,' and this was the general trend. But what I did believe in particular was that I was not just a body. This awareness came to me at the hospital.
One day when I was walking and I was caught in the rain, I began running to the shelter and then I realized, 'Wait a minute, my body is getting wet, my body is telling me I am getting wet.' This made me think of a saying that the body is like a donkey, and it has to be trained where it has to go. Otherwise, the donkey will lead you where it wants to go.
Then I realized I had a will, a God-given gift: follow the will of God. I was fascinated by the new termino- logy I was learning in the Eastern religion. By now I was fed up with Christianity. I started making music again and this time I started reflecting my own thoughts. I remember the lyric of one of my songs. It goes like this: "I wish I knew, I wish I knew what makes the Heaven, what makes the Hell. Do I get to know You in my bed or some dusty cell while others reach the big hotel?" and I knew I was on the Path.
I also wrote another song, "The Way to Find God Out." I became even more famous in the world of music. I really had a difficult time because I was getting rich and famous, and at the same time, I was sincerely searching for the Truth. Then I came to a stage where I decided that Buddhism is all right and noble, but I was not ready to leave the world. I was too attached to the world and was not prepared to become a monk and to isolate myself from society.
I tried Zen and Ching, numerology, tarot cards and astrology. I tried to look back into the Bible and could not find anything. At this time I did not know anything about Islam, and then, what I regarded as a miracle occurred. My brother had visited the mosque in Jerusalem and was greatly impressed that while on the one hand it throbbed with life (unlike the churches and synagogues which were empty), on the other hand, an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity prevailed.
THE QUR'AN
When he came to London he brought back a translation of the Qur'an, which he gave to me. He did not become a Muslim, but he felt something in this religion, and thought I might find something in it also.
And when I received the book, a guidance that would explain everything to me - who I was; what was the purpose of life; what was the reality and what would be the reality; and where I came from - I realized that this was the true religion; religion not in the sense the West understands it, not the type for only your old age. In the West, whoever wishes to embrace a religion and make it his only way of life is deemed a fanatic. I was not a fanatic, I was at first confused between the body and the soul. Then I realized that the body and soul are not apart and you don't have to go to the mountain to be religious. We must follow the will of God. Then we can rise higher than the angels. The first thing I wanted to do now was to be a Muslim.
I realized that everything belongs to God, that slumber does not overtake Him. He created everything. At this point I began to lose the pride in me, because hereto I had thought the reason I was here was because of my own greatness. But I realized that I did not create myself, and the whole purpose of my being here was to submit to the teaching that has been perfected by the religion we know as Al-Islam. At this point I started discovering my faith. I felt I was a Muslim. On reading the Qur'an, I now realized that all the Prophets sent by God brought the same message. Why then were the Jews and Christians different? I know now how the Jews did not accept Jesus as the Messiah and that they had changed His Word. Even the Christians misunderstand God's Word and called Jesus the son of God. Everything made so much sense. This is the beauty of the Qur'an; it asks you to reflect and reason, and not to worship the sun or moon but the One Who has created everything. The Qur'an asks man to reflect upon the sun and moon and God's creation in general. Do you realize how different the sun is from the moon? They are at varying distances from the earth, yet appear the same size to us; at times one seems to overlap the other.
Even when many of the astronauts go to space, they see the insignificant size of the earth and vastness of space. They become very religious, because they have seen the Signs of Allah.
When I read the Qur'an further, it talked about prayer, kindness and charity. I was not a Muslim yet, but I felt that the only answer for me was the Qur'an, and God had sent it to me, and I kept it a secret. But the Qur'an also speaks on different l I began to understand it on anothlevel, where the Qur'an says, {Those who believe do not take disbelievers for friends and the believers are brothers} Thus at this point I wished to meet my Muslim brothers.
CONVERSION
Then I decided to journey to Jerusalem (as my brother had done). At Jerusalem, I went to the mosque and sat down. A man asked me what I wanted. I told him I was a Muslim. He asked what was my name. I told him, "Stevens." He was confused. I then joined the prayer, though not so successfully. Back in London, I met a sister called Nafisa. I told her I wanted to embrace Islam and she directed me to the New Regent Mosque. This was in 1977, about one and a half years after I received the Qur'an.
Now I realized that I must get rid of my pride, get rid of Iblis, and face one direction. So on a Friday, after Jumma' I went to the Imam and declared my faith (the Kalima) at this hands. You have before you someone who had achieved fame and fortune. But guidance was something that eluded me, no matter how hard I tried, until I was shown the Qur'an. Now I realize I can get in direct contact with God, unlike Christianity or any other religion. As one Hindu lady told me, "You don't understand the Hindus. We believe in one God; we use these objects (idols) to merely concentrate." What she was saying was that in order to reach God, one has to create associates, that are idols for the purpose. But Islam removes all these barriers. The only thing that moves the believers from the disbelievers is the salat. This is the process of purification.
Finally I wish to say that everything I do is for the pleasure of Allah and pray that you gain some inspirations from my experiences. Furthermore, I would like to stress that I did not come into contact with any
Muslim before I embraced Islam. I read the Qur'an first and realized that no person is perfect. Islam is perfect, and if we imitate the conduct of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) we will be successful. May Allah give us guidance to follow the path of the ummah of Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam). Ameen!
How did Cat Stevens come to Islam ?
Borther I m a born muslim and I m so moved by what you have wrote ... today I came online feeling sad and miserable ... Reading what you wrote makes me realize How lucky I m to be a Muslim ... Regardless of what people say abotu muslims ... WE have turned ignorrant towards our own religion ... and taking this for granted ... Allah has already blessed HIm ... Allhumdulilah ... may he give us hidayat too
Reply:Same way everyone does.
They gave him a choice between death and Islam.
.
Reply:He's re-thinking Islam, and plans to start singing again.
Reply:Cat/Yusuf is the man, 'nuff said
Reply:Assalamu Alaikum,
Please visit the office site of Yusuf Islam (formely Cat Stevens) and watch his journey to Islam.
http://www.yusufislam.com/
http://www.mountainoflight.co.uk/
Reply:assalamoalaikum warahmatullah ! well done brother:) JazakAllah Khair
Reply:GODSHEW---He is NOT rethinking Islam---He already is singing again(I have his CD) ---he never stopped singing in fact (He's been singing Islamic songs forever now). He is rethinking the playing of certain musical instruments (the guitar for example). Actually, he stopped thinking about it and did it!
His new CD is under the name YUSUF An other cup of tea
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