The Nahmias Cipher Report

The Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie speaks about the traditions of a single story framed by prejudice, stereotypes, and misinformation. The author of “Half of a Yellow Sun” (2006), she has several other notable books, short stories, plays and poem anthologies under her belt, but this presentation transcends continents, cultures, and class. View the video here.

A truly powerful movie that is metaphoric and profound on so many levels. Words fail to capture the depth of longing portrayed by the principal character of this film who is the veritable “everyman” calling out to the great unknown for guidance, support, and assistance. As an artist and a deeply spiritual person the other worldliness and mysticism experienced by the characters in this film transcend man made boundaries to emote true connection to the “unseen” that binds us all.

In a time of deep divides along geographical, political and religious lines, it is important for people to remember that ultimately these factions and the resultant conflicts have been a facet of humanity since its beginning. Therefore, we should not define ourselves by this our greatest failing, instead we should strive to identify the communality of our experiences, our humanity, and our intrinsic need to understand from whence we came and to where we return.

THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES
Written by Rudyard Kipling, 1911

When the Himalayan peasant meets the he-bear in his pride,
He shouts to scare the monster, who will often turn aside.
But the she-bear thus accosted rends the peasant tooth and nail.
For the female of the species is more deadly than the male.

When Nag the basking cobra hears the careless foot of man,
He will sometimes wriggle sideways and avoid it if he can.
But his mate makes no such motion where she camps beside the trail.
For the female of the species is more deadly than the male.

Ever wondered how Arabic women seem to possess the most beautiful eyes? Well, turns out that it is an art used to enhance their most visible feature. For traditional Muslim women who choose to wear the Hijab, Burqa, or Bui Bui, eye makeup provides the means for dramatic expressiveness.
It is a way for these beautiful women to communicate their unique individuality. Sometimes in the West we view these women as oppressed victims devoid of creativity or freedom. The beautiful eye makeup featured in the video above contradicts this gross generalization, because these are not objects of derision, they are women; and if we diminish and define them by an outer garment, then we are no better than the men we criticize.