What is love?

For millennia, people have been taking shelter in love for one reason or another. However, explaining the true rational motive behind the need for closeness and intimacy has proven difficult if not impossible.

      Essentially, the multitude of philosophers, poets , writers , directors over the years have tried so arduously to depict a portrait of love that cleanses the soul, refreshes the life , renders purpose for our existence among other things; in other words, the bulk of people are able to describe the feelings while completely unable to explicate on what love actually is.

       Nicholas Sparks in his book A Walk to Remember so aptly describes the features of love:
"Love is always patient and kind. It is never jealous. Love is never boastful or conceited. It is never rude or selfish. It does not take offense and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people's sins, but delights in the truth. It is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes."

       However, for those of you who might demand a more scientific and less abstract definition, many researches have been conveyed in order for providing a ground for this seemingly unexplainable subject. The results are quite varied to say the least, from denying the existence of love altogether, to thorough explanations via neurons and hormones.

      In the videos bellow Anthropologist Helen Fisher, who have studied gender differences and the evolution of human emotion, talks about love and intimacy along with their assorted functions as well as definition.

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And Then There Were Wars; Commemoration of 9/11 and its Respective Consequences

 Article written by Daniel Molagan

Have you ever wondered how could one hour and eighteen minutes change our lives as well as the history forever?! 

      Nine years ago at this time, the world shook as it saw civilization, no matter how advanced, can be replaced with mayhem that would be remembered by generations to come.

      It looks as if a part of our world died along with thousands of men and women, workers and managers, firefighters and police officers who lost their lives on that grim day. But the series of attacks on September 11th 2001 merely ignited the blazing fire of war that has been burning the world ever since. The fire that is prominently fueled by ignorance, hatred, and most of all, greed.Despite the magnitude of controversy that has surrounded 9/11 and its various theories from conspiratorial to patriotic, we have all been affected by that incident all the same. 

      Whether the twin towers collapsed because of the airplane crashes or planted explosives; regardless of the motivation behind such atrocious cruelty; sadly, the deed is done. Fanatics and extremists are casting the ground as well as the sky disseminating hatred and recruiting followers via falsification , the world as we know it is filled with lack of trust , hate crimes are prevalent , and earnest intentions over ceasing this maddening terror are few and far in between.

      We have to be cautioned that the very notion that brought about the fury events of 9/11 is now being practiced freely in the name of terror inhibition.Terrorism will not vanish unless the root of the issue is targeted. And that brings us to the infamous origin that has caused all this to begin with, something that is ironically quite familiar and has become part of our lives without us even noticing it. Hatred.

      How can we wish for a world where terrorists are isolated and suppressed when we give them a reason to attract newcomers by disrespecting their beliefs and violating their rights as well as our own constitution?!  

      What do you expect a young fellow in Afghanistan or Pakistan would think after witnessing the news about burning Koran by an American pastor? Why do we have to give these extremists the opportunity to mold the minds of others so they could portray America and its allies as the enemies of Islam rather than fanaticism after taking away the constitutional right of Muslim-Americans? 

      Mr. Terry Jones, if you truly long a world of abundance and successfulness where people of different faiths can coexist peacefully ; so long you honestly desire safety and security and not public attention, you would preach tolerance and acceptance instead of insulting the millions of innocent and passive Muslims who had nothing to do with the heinousness that occurred on 9/11. 

      We, as Christians and followers of Christ who said in Matthew 5:44: “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”, are supposed to emanate the message of love throughout the universe and not the other way around.

      Washington, if you are unwilling to see your own people embrace death without a cause; if you are taking all the measures to forestall  yet another 9/11 to strike the nation ever again you would remain faithful to the fine constitution of the United States of America and specifically the first Amendment by allowing the Muslim-minority to practice their religion peacefully .

      Mr. Feisal Abdul Rauf ,if you are sincere about your intention behind erecting the grand mosque that is aimed at bringing people closer to God and shows the world the tranquil and pious trend of Islam you would move the location of the grand mosque somewhere else if only to avoid inducing bitter memories of those who lost their loved ones on ground zero, for it is Islam, not to mention all other religions, that enunciates” do unto others as you would like to be done onto you” . After all, Allah can be reached from anywhere and not just the ground zero.

       I hereby , as a Christian and a subscriber of the first Amendment, condemn Mr. Jones’ attempt at disgracing Koran, and would commemorate 9/11 by hoping to see a morrow where people of all faiths and backgrounds can live a prosperous life in which all individuals, Christians, Muslims, Jews, Spirituals, non-believers, cooperate  to redeem the world of extremism and hatred .    

For we read on the entrance of the United Nations:
 

The children of Adam are limbs to each other,
  Having been created of one essence.

A short story: “In Country” by James Ross

You seldom catch the opportunity to read a story that emanates nostalgia and hope at the same time. “In Country” is certainly one of those narratives that do just that. 

      A recently divorced dad and his son who have to leave their neighborhood for something of a "Bandit Country" presumably to forget about the bitter past and start a new life. 
 
      This short story shows clearly that while divorce can be very tough at times, the life could certainly move on even after such ordeals. Depicting the challenges of life after divorce that are evened by the calmness of a one-on-one chat between a father and his eight-year-old son. 
 
      Once again, if you would like to taste nostalgia and hope simultaneously give this short story of three pages a try.

Access “In Country” by James Ross

(The story is 3 pages long)

New approach towards design

Disasters do come about whether we like them or not; however, we are not destined to be demolished upon occurrence of a tragedy.

      Considering the rapidly developing infrastructure around the globe, as well as increasing population and its associated financial difficulties that favors quantity over quality, we as the occupants of earth dwell in a world that has become even more vulnerable over the years despite the new technologies.

      This issue,while present in all societies, is more evident among poor and developing nations that are struggling to maintain their pace of growth by exchanging future planning , hazard prediction,and risk reduction for more apparent, and tangible maturation.

      In response to such allegations, those involved in the process defend their initiatives by stating that tough times call for tough measures. This is while in the 21st century, the appropriate approach demands an agenda as follows:

New times call for new measures.

      The first discipline that comes to our minds when thinking about natural disasters and tragedies is architecture and design of the various infrastructures and products. The way we try to tackle the problem of designs that are immune, or at least resilient, towards hazards plays a key role towards the outcome of a turmoil  .If we are truly concerned about the toll taken on finance, human lives, and most importantly our environment,then we need to look anew at our design bearing  in the current situation. A direction that not only benefits us but also the posterity.  

The following videos address this concern by providing novel ways in which a fresh look on product design and architecture can bring about safety and security for all .

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