Serenity Quest

Have you ever been to prison? Are you in a prison that you have created for yourself? Richard Gere in the movie Red Corner who is accused of killing a woman in China and when he is finally set free you can see the look of liberty on his face. So I wonder those of you who have done time, what was it like to be set free? What did you learn from being locked up?

My prison was the spousal abuse of my father. I lived it for about 6 years from 5 to 11 years old and although it was a relatively short period of my existence, it was extremely traumatic and marking. Notice I didn't say period of my life but "existence" because I was merely existing just enough to breathe.

That was between 1977 and 1983. Papa was a criminal, came out of prison when I was 5. He quickly got restless needed the action I guess and goes into the "construction" business. He climbs up the ladder fairly fast and on that ascent others below who were jealous were trying to pull him down, Papa wouldn't have that!

By resisting he made himself many enemies and became unpopular, persona nongrata and had to be eliminated. I'll never forget the gunshot wounds they left on his face. All that time I had grown to like him despite the way he would bash my mother's head in and actually how shall I put it...loved him.

Once I set myself free from that prison I blossomed. I invite you to break free from the prison that binds you. Envy is a prison, so is gluttony and lust. So are pride, greed, sloth and anger.

Ya Christophe you were "trop" hier soir! Top of the Top!! You have such incredible talent that I am dying to buy your first CD or DVD! Tu sais you're a real star and like Marianne James says repeatedly why did it take us so long to discover your immense talent??? I am so floored by you - your humble way of being, your sweet demeanor and oh those hips man you got it going on!

Ladies and Gentlemen his name is Christophe Willem and he is the next hottest artist from France to conquer my heart!

Hear him belt it out on the M6 website of Nouvelle Star.

Anthropologist Malek Chebel has assembled a "Le Kama-sutra arabe", an anthology of erotic texts from Islamic history. In an interview with Catherine Golliau, he cites erotic passages from the Koran and calls the puritanism of contemporary Islam, unislamic. "The rejection of the flesh and sexuality amounts to a rejection of the self. But how should someone who rejects himself be able to love anyone else, including God? Islam emphasizes the importance of profane happiness as a passage and invitation to spiritual happiness. Those who see these two forms of happiness as oppositions are 'emotionally illiterate.'"

Taken from signandsight.com

Further reading about Malek Chebel and his book:

Malek Chebel, une voix libérale de l'islam [French] - Yahoo

Algerian Reformist Malek Chebel: 27 Propositions for Reforming Islam [English] - The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)

It's Mother's Day in some parts of the world.

I salute all you lovely, caring, tender, nuturing, strong, uncompromising mothers who support us yet give us enough room to be us!

Happy Mother's Day!