"Is that Peee Ceeeeee enough for youuwww?"

Honest discussion has no place in american television! Welcome to the Neighborhood," an ABC reality series that pushes hot buttons of racism and anti-homosexuality, was pulled by the network before its debut. The program had drawn criticism from groups claiming it risked fostering prejudice. [...] The six-episode show, which was to debut July 10, follows three families in Austin, Texas, who are given the chance to choose a new neighbor for a house on their street. Each family initially wants someone similar to them — white and conservative. Instead, they must choose from families that are black, Hispanic and Asian; two gay white men who've adopted a black child; a couple covered in tattoos and piercings; a couple who met at the woman's initiation as a witch; and a poor white family. Ok, so we have minority families , a gay couple, a body art couple, a wicca couple and a white trash family. Basically all the "diversity" that living in America has to offer. This of course will make a lot of the "white and uptight" neighbours uncomfortable, and we can finally show how really intolerant white people are. God knows they are the only people left that you can make fun of all you want and not have to worry about it! This should be great! :-p In the early episodes, one man makes a crack about the number of children piling out of the Hispanic family's car and displays of affection between the gay men provoke disgust. See? Told you so! The series' producers had said it was intended to promote a healthy and open debate about prejudice and people's fear of differences. See, here is the problem: i actually believe them, and i believe that such a debate is necessary. Unfortunately, i don't believe that America is ready for that yet. Not really! If anything that living in american society has taught me, it's that it's better to fake tolerance then to actually be tolerant. Better pretend you don't mind gays, even if you hate them, otherwise your girlfriend will get mad at you and she might not give you head tonight. It's better to hide all racist thoughts and notions till the black man is out of the room, then you are allowed to make fun of him all you want. Better to skirt the issues then to deal with them. Cause you see, we wouldn't want to expose people to the truth. That might just hurt their feelings, and we can't have that. Better just ignore it, pretend it doesn't happen and hope it may just go away! For example: The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, after viewing the series, expressed strong concerns. While it ultimately carries a valuable message about diversity and acceptance, those watching the first episodes could be left thinking discrimination is "not that big a deal," GLAAD spokesman Damon Romine said Wednesday. "Regardless of how things turn out at the end of the last show, it's dangerous to let intolerance and bigotry go unchallenged for weeks at a time," he said, adding that GLAAD hopes a revised version might air. Yes, cause people will see this show and think:"It's ok to call gay people that? Allright. Hey Billy, wanna lynch mr. Johnson and his manfriend? It's Pee cee now!" Between this and their Eminem Grammy protests, i am starting to think that GLAAD is another word for STUPID But don't fret gay people, another group is out to prove how tolerant it is by not tolerating this show either: Before ABC announced its decision, the Family Research Council said it was worried evangelicals would be made to appear judgmental and foolish. They are so afraid to appear judgmental that they are judging the show before actually seeing it. Makes it seem like as if they were only kidding about their desire not to appear foolish, huh? I rest my case!

Now that's what i call closure!

I've stumbeld on this reading the always entertaining Angry Little Lady blog, which all of you should read! The following was apparently forwarded to people via e-mail, but since i've never received it, i figure there is a good chance that maybe a lot of you didn't either. So for those who did receive it, I say with all the compassion in my heart: Tough Noogins! "Basically, this girl is writing her ex-boyfriend a letter three years after their breakup. He responds and cc's like all of his friends. the basic gist: she's crazy and he's hilarious...." Date: Wed, 1 Jun 2005 14:16:18 -0700 (PDT) From: "D." Subject: D. presents: "An Ode to Instability" To: "Heather" Friends, Some of you may remember by ex-girlfriend S. . I recently recieved a letter from her. I would appreciate it if you would take the time to read it and review my response. I hope all of you are well. May 23, 2005 Dear D. : I have had a difficult time, over the past few years, achieving closure of our relationship. It is time for me to seek this. I have gone through the appropriate stages of anger, remorse, sadness. It is now time for me to close this chapter of my life. I am trying to recapture my life and gain a sense of identity back. In my professional life I have done this, but my personal life struggles. For so long I/We were "S. and D.", that it is hard to gain my own identity back. I am not worried about my career; I will soon succeed even my wildest dreams. I am just stunted by my personal life. I am ready to release you from my life. I also on a weekly basis encounter people who want to tell me about you or have a discussion about you. I do not want to deal with this anymore. I do have a proposal on how to handle this. I am ready to no longer be forced to deal with your presence. As to how to deal with it, I propose the following: 1. I've heard you have an apartment on the West side. You need to move out of the West side of Indianapolis, this has always been my side of town, I own a house here, and do not rent like you. I grew up here, and always want to live here. I would prefer if you were to leave Indianapolis all together, but I know this is more than I can ask.I do not want to risk running into you at any store. 2. We should officially divide our friends. Particularly Jim, Jillian, Amy, and Ed. You should write them, thanking them for the opportunity to be their friend and explain why you can no longer be in contact with them. I can provide you with addresses, if you need. 3. I will stay out of Republican politics. I promise not to get involved with any Republican politics, unless my father runs for judge, and than I reserve the right to work on his campaign. 4. I would like you to not have anything to do with all thingsCathedral. I feel I should have ownership of the school since my motherworks there and my brother and sisters went there. You are more tied toWabash. This should be where you dedicate your alumni status. I will be involved in Cathedral. When the time of reunions comes up, I am willing to say that you can have the reunions ending in "0" years and I will take the"5" years. So you can have 10 years and I will take 25 years. 5. I will avoid Wabash contacts. The few guys from the house I still speak to on a rare basis, I will not. I will also discourage any male offspring I have from attending Wabash. I know some of these things seem a bit harsh, but I feel they are for the best. I do not ever really wish to see you again. I know that this will of course happen beyond my control, but I think we should do our best to avoid what we can. It is my sincere hope that you understand, and do take the time torespond. This is my last request of you. With fondness, S. May 31, 2005 Dear S. , Thanks for your letter. We broke up 3 years ago. Knowing that and taking into consideration you believe me to be a cold, career focused, ego-maniac, what on earth makes you think I would take the time to think about you or agree to your proposal? But since I clearly have taken the time to respond, please take a moment to review some comments and counterproposals I have crafted. 1. First, I will have to resist the burning urge to move RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO YOU. After that deep desire subsides, I will vacate the Westside and return to my roots: The Snooty Northside, as you used to call it. However, since I was born on the Northside and I have Northside in my veins you must abdicate all ties to the North. This includes: Living on the Northside, living on the Northeastside, walking down North Street, being a fan of the Dallas Stars (formerly the Minnesota North Stars), wearing North Face apparel or telling your children that Santa lives at the North Pole. 1 (B). I was born in Indianapolis before you were so I should really get to determine who stays and who goes. In my benevolence I will let you exist here only within the St. Michael's Parish boundary (MLK Dr. to High School Rd. and 56th Street to 10th St.) We will call this the S. Zone. This should be acceptable for you as your family lives across the street and there is a gas station, grocery, convenience store, your place of employment and a fire station. Exceptions can be made with my expressed written consent. You will be required to display a large tag in your windshield giving you permission to travel beyond the S. Zone. 2. I haven't talked to your friends since we broke up. I think they got the message. However since we apparently are still in fourth grade, please have your friends meet me by the playground at recess so that I can tell them they have big fat heads and they aren't my friends anymore.Do you agree? _______Yes ________No________Maybe 2 (B). One of the few times you let us do something fun, we visited some of my family friends on Geist. It was about eight years ago. We enjoyed their boat and home for several hours during a pre-500 party. Please jot them a note saying you are going to forget that ever happened. Please also offer to reimburse them for the boat gas, pool chlorine, air conditioning Freon, Dr. Pepper and anything else you consumed while you were there. I don't have their address anymore, you can look it up. 3. Please let me know when your father runs for anything.I'm going to run against him. 3 (B). Thanks for staying out of Republican politics. Your heavyweight presence in the party will be sorely missed. I am very involved in ice hockey. I play recreationally and coach a youth team in the winter. I would prefer it if you could stop being involved in all things related to ice and ice hockey . You can use those instant first aid coldpaks to cool your drinks from now on. Also, my parents have been very involved with the Indianapolis 500 Festival for nearly 20 years. The month of May is really a big month for us. While I am not able to honor your request of moving out of Indianapolis, I would ask that you just leave town during May. With 250,000 fans going to the race and 35,000 runners in the Mini-Marathon, I don't want to run the risk of bumping into you. I know your birthday is in May, but man, I just don't care. 4. Christ, I don't have the energy for this one. 5. If any of my friends from Wabash actually still talk to you, they are fucking fired as friends. 5 (B). I'm not going to tell my kids anything about you. But speaking of kids, it would be okay with me if my son was a crack addict, just as long as he got your kids hooked on it and became their dealer. In closing, I will never make decisions about my life or my family based on whether I might run into you at the store. I am now convinced that if we ever do bump into each other, you will spontaneously combust. I wish you the best of luck find a spouse. Seriously. It won't be easy to find a person who is willing to spend the rest of his life raising children and making decisions based on your crazy-ass proposal to an ex-boyfriend and your inability to act like a rational human being. All my best, D.

A true reveloutionary

For all of you people who are still reeling from the result of the Iranian Elections with Ahmeddinjad winning, because you think it will only heighten the tension between Iran and the US since he seems not to like americans that much, well, ehh, you might be more right than you imagine: A quarter-century after they were taken captive in Iran, five former American hostages say they got an unexpected reminder of their 444-day ordeal in the bearded face of Iran's new president-elect. Watching coverage of Iran's presidential election on television dredged up 25-year-old memories that prompted four of the former hostages to exchange e-mails. And those four realized they shared the same conclusion — the firm belief that President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had been one of their Iranian captors. "This is the guy. There's no question about it," said former hostage Chuck Scott, a retired Army colonel who lives in Jonesboro, Ga. "You could make him a blond and shave his whiskers, put him in a zoot suit and I'd still spot him." Oh boy! LOL I dunno how credible those witnesses are, since you know, this took place over a quarter century ago. But if it is true, well, ehh... things are going to get slightly more complicated for everyone involved! Update: Check out this 25 year old picture of someone whose allegdely Ahmeddeinjad(Thanks Gbaikie). I am not sure yet, but it does look a lot like a younger version of our boy!

Hezbollah is stupid!

The people of Hezbollah must be the dumbest bastards on the face of this earth. I mean, after finally having both Israel and Syria leave the land of Lebanon, they go and start a new fight with Israel over the Shabba Farms region. Before any of you jump on me for attacking arabs for fighting over their Israeli occupied territory, I would like to inform you that the Shabba farms isn't Lebanese territory; It's actually Syrian territory. After it got occupied by the Israelis after the 1967 war, the Syrians gave it to the Lebanese, so that the Lebanese would be the ones fighting over it. This is what Syria has been doing for the past 15 years, using Lebanon to fight a proxy war with Israel, because the Syrians are too chicken shit to fight such a war themselves. I thought that those days were over, with Syria being out of Lebanon and all, but I apparently underestimated the stupidity- or should I say true allegiance- of Hezbollah. Hezbollah, stop being stupid. You are only hurting your country!

My Jaw just hit the floor

This is intensely mindboggelingly incredibly stupid: “Don’t Laugh at Me” (or dlam) was born when Yarrow—a veteran of the civil-rights, gender-equality, nucleardisarmament, peace, and Amtrak-subsidization movements—heard a country ballad of that name at the Kerrville Folk Festival, in the summer of 1999. Moved to tears by its swelling harmonies and first-person testaments to the effects of ridicule—“I’m a little boy with glasses, the one they call a geek / A little girl who never smiles ’cause I’ve got braces on my teeth”—he decided to incorporate the tune into Peter, Paul & Mary’s repertoire. At a gig with the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the group played the song. “The principals gave a tremendous response to it, and said, ‘We need this in our schools,’ ” Chic Dambach, Operation Respect’s president and C.E.O., said the other day. “And Peter, being the activist and the organizer that he is, said, ‘You won’t just have a song but a whole program.’ ” dlam is now used in at least twelve thousand American schools and camps. [...] On to dlam’s outreach video. The tape included accounts of book-slamming, sandwich-spitting, and shin-kicking, as well as footage of a rendition of “Don’t Laugh at Me” that Yarrow had performed at the United Nations. “A ridicule-free world,” a soothing voice intoned. “It’s possible, but only with everyone’s help.” (dlam’s efforts at enrichment may also extend to Peter, Paul & Mary’s back catalogue. Page 22 of the teacher’s guide instructs: “Tell students that this version of the song ‘Don’t Laugh at Me’ is sung by Peter, Paul & Mary. If you have not already done so, tell them a little bit about the group. . . . In the early 1960s, Peter, Paul & Mary were the #1 recording group in the country.” ) Next up was “The Big Betrayal Conflict Script,” a skit about two friends, Terry and Sasha, who get into a fight at a basketball game. The exercise emphasized using “I messages,” as opposed to those that begin with “you” and, therefore, can put their targets on the defensive. (dlam also recommends having students simulate the sound of a rainstorm and discuss a story called “The Maligned Wolf.”) LOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL! Ok, you know what? This is pathetic! This is beyoned pathetic! Who thinks of this shit? Crap like that never works, You know why? Cause Kids are cruel to each other, and that's a good thing. It's one of Highschool's greatest traditions. It introduces you to the real world and it builds your character, not to mention motivates the shit out of you. You were fat in Highschool? Not for long you weren't! The abuse made sure of that. You were weak, you didn't know how to defend yourself? Well, nothing motivates you to get stronger and learn how to fight then having some prick pick on you. And you did that, because you had to. You didn't know how to talk back? Well, you sure picked up that essential survival skill pretty damn quickly. Shit, it's seems that that's the only thing they teach in school nowadays. And it's good, because a person who doesn't know how to argue or talk back will get walked on by people all of their lives. That's the way things are! Not to mention, conflict is an essential part of life. Hell.. conflict is life! You will have conflict at your school. You will have it at your jobs, and you will have it in your house, with your significant other, or family members or the hellspawns you call your offspring. And i hate to break it to you, but not all conflict can be rationally resolved, because not all conflicts are rational (Ever try arguing with a woman? Then you know what i am talking about! j/k). The "we would all get along if we only try" crap only works if some people are willing to resolve the situation, and sometimes you don't want the situation resolved. Sometimes it's good to have unresolved conflicts: it rids of you of unhealthy relationships, shitty friends and bad working enviroment. Not to mention, this method completly ignores the existance of Jerks: They do exist you know, and not all of them are "scarred from the inside" and "in need of a hug"; some people are just mean, DEAL WITH IT! We all do! Not to mention, a ridicule free world? That's our aim now? Where is the fun in that? What about those who deserve to be rediculed? What about Ward Churchil? Paris Hilton? Lindsay Lohan? What about John Effen Kerry?Or the idiots that embaress Islam and Egyptians every time they open their mouths? What? Are we all so sensitive now that we will respect everyone's opinion, even the incredibly stupid? You wanna tell me that I can't make fun of the Simpson sisters? Screw that! I like making fun of them! It's fun and they DESERVE IT! You people are creating a generation of co-dependent, weak, emotionaly imbalanced, woe-is-me, self-victimizing- hyper-sensitive wussies! All because you listen to people like that Hurdle-Price guy. For once i am glad that Kids don't listen, because they shouldn't listen to his kind of softie new-age stupid bullshit. “Just make sure they’re sticking to the formula,” Hurdle-Price advised. “I often get students who say, ‘I feel that you are stupid.’ ” Mr Price, I think you should listen to what they have to say! I have a feeling they are on to something!

The Ayman Nour circus

Yesterday the Ayman Nour Trial started, and from the sound of it, it seems to be more of a circus thean a real trial: Ayman wasn't initially allowed to go inside the courtroom of his own trial, supporters were chanting outside while the government security forces were blocking them, Nour's co-defendents were actually attacking him and their lawyers were asking for documents like Nour's PHD and National ID in order to prove that he is a forgerer, which is weird considering that this is the government's job, and Nour was smoking a cigar and giving interviews behind bars to the few press members that were allowed to go in. (Check pictures here via the arabist) However, if there is any indication of how the government intends to play this one, well, look no futher then at the Judge they appointed for this case : It's the same Judge that jailed Saad El Din Ibrahim in 2001 for "Tarnishing Egypt's reputation" by doing research on egyptian election fraud. Different name, but the game is still the same!

I am glad we settled that one

Behold the Islamic rules of Wife Beating (Hattip Stefania): Sheik Aal Mahmoud: If the husband wants to use beatings to treat his wife, he must never ever do it in front of the children. It must remain between him and her. It must be done according to the following conditions: He must not cause bleeding or bruise her body. He should avoid her face and other sensitive parts of her body. As we've said, the limitations on beating are: They must not cause bleeding, they should not break any bones, they should not be on the face, and they should not bruise her. But before you get too excited and start beating your wife's chest, or her stomach, arms, legs or ass, you should realize the following: If the husband violates these rules, he violates the rules of Allah.If she has been hurt, the husband is held liable for what he has done, because the woman is not his merchandise. He cannot do to her whatever he wants. Besides Beating her of course! Sigh....

Ironic Justice

It seems I wasn't the only one who was pissed at the Supreme court for their stupid ruling regarding eminent domain, that allows private property of citizens to be seized by the state for the sake of economic development. Fate, or rather Mr. Logan Clements, it seems is not without an ironic sense of Justice: Could a hotel be built on the land owned by Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter? A new ruling by the Supreme Court which was supported by Justice Souter himself itself might allow it. A private developer is seeking to use this very law to build a hotel on Souter's land. Justice Souter's vote in the "Kelo vs. City of New London" decision allows city governments to take land from one private owner and give it to another if the government will generate greater tax revenue or other economic benefits when the land is developed by the new owner. On Monday June 27, Logan Darrow Clements, faxed a request to Chip Meany the code enforcement officer of the Towne of Weare, New Hampshire seeking to start the application process to build a hotel on 34 Cilley Hill Road. This is the present location of Mr. Souter's home. Clements, CEO of Freestar Media, LLC, points out that the City of Weare will certainly gain greater tax revenue and economic benefits with a hotel on 34 Cilley Hill Road than allowing Mr. Souter to own the land. What will the Hotel entail? The proposed development, called "The Lost Liberty Hotel" will feature the "Just Desserts Café" and include a museum, open to the public, featuring a permanent exhibit on the loss of freedom in America. Instead of a Gideon's Bible each guest will receive a free copy of Ayn Rand's novel "Atlas Shrugged." HAHAHA! That's awesome! Clements indicated that the hotel must be built on this particular piece of land because it is a unique site being the home of someone largely responsible for destroying property rights for all Americans. Serves him right. GO Clements! (Thanks Dennis)

Private Post: How I make her feel...

She fears him, and will always ask

What fated her to choose him;

She meets in his engaging mask

All reasons to refuse him.

But what she meets and what she fears

Are less than are the downward years,

Drawn slowly to the foamless weirs

Of age, were she to lose him. Between a blurred sagacity

That once had power to sound him,

And Love, that will not let him be

The Judas that she found him,

Her pride assuages her almost

As if it were alone the cost--

He sees that he will not be lost,

And waits, and looks around him. A sense of ocean and old trees

Envelops and allures him;

Tradition, touching all he sees,

Beguiles and reassures him.

And all her doubts of what he says

Are dimmed by what she knows of days,

Till even Prejudice delays

And fades, and she secures him. The falling leaf inaugurates

The reign of her confusion;

The pounding wave reverberates

The dirge of her illusion.

And Home, where passion lived and died,

Becomes a place where she can hide,

While all the town and harbor side

Vibrate with her seclusion.

Eros Turannos, Edwin Arlington Robinson

What's wrong with the Supreme court?

The US supreme court has been acting really weird: They have been passing all kinds of messed up rulings lately. I mean, first, they agree (5-4) to almost abolish the right for Private property and give the states unprecedented rights to take people's property away if it serves the economic public good by placing a Wallmart in the place of your house . This, of course, is messed up. It takes the right of eminent domain to the extreme and will most likely screw over poor people. (In an interesting sidenote, You know who opposed it? O'Connor, Rehnquist, Scalia and Thomas. You know, the more right-leaning conservative ones appointed by the Big Business Republicans. But remember, it's the democrats who are looking out for the little guy, ok?) And if that ruling wasn't stupid enough, they have now passed a ruling that OK's having Religious symbols on government buildings as long as it has been there for Years with no objections: To the extent that the decisions provided guidelines for the further cases that are all but certain to follow, it appeared to be that religious symbols that have been on display for many years, with little controversy, are likely to be upheld, while newer displays intended to advance a modern religious agenda will be met with suspicion and disfavor from the court. So the old ones are fine, it's the new ones that are bad? Hmm, Behold the art of pleasing everyone! Ok, i have some questions: How do you decide what's little controversy? Doesn't that encourage people who are opposed to religious symbols to make as much controversy about them as possible? And how do you tell if the new display is intended to advance a modern religious agenda? And what's a modern religious agenda exactly? How does it differ from an old religious agenda? Does anybody know? Look, either ban it or allow it, but don't try to reach a compromise, because neither side is interested in one really, and by this ruling you are just pissing them off. You guys are the supreme court for God's sake. Stop being stupid!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....

While Bush is using the first anniversary of Iraq's sovereignty to ease fears and doubts over the Iraq war, John Kerry- who didn't win- has the audacity to write an OP-Ed piece in the NYTIMES that outlines the speech that Bush should give! Okay, John, buddy. You lost. Ok? And you lost because despite everything that was going wrong, and your over-hyped intelligence, you couldn't deliver one speech that made a 50/50 split country 4 years ago vote for you. You are not one to give advice on any kind when it comes to speeches, especially that your speeches were actually more boring then Al Gore speeches, something that i believe was quite the remarkable achievement in its own right. Either way, some people will read what he said and they will think "He is right. That's what should be done!", except that for the most part, it is what's being done anyway. Ehh, Whatever... You know, this brings to my mind 2 conversations i've had with 2 Americans and neither one is a republican. One with Army Lisa, and the other with this kid named Alex, a self titled "western democrat" from Montana who worked for a year in Egypt as member of the American embassy's cultural affairs department, and who is now getting his masters degree in the States. The first conversation was with Lisa, and it occurred right after Bush got re-elected. I asked her, since she was in Iraq and in harms way, like the rest of her brethren, why didn't they vote for Kerry instead of Bush who sent them there? Was it the commander in chief thing? Her response was the following: " The commander in chief thing partly, and partly because Kerry said that we would wait at least 4 years in Iraq anyway. I figured if we are staying either way, I might as well go with the one who is known for supporting the troops, and not the other guy who smeared his fellow Unit members and voted against our funding to show how he is opposed to the war whom he voted for in order to get elected. The dude is a Jerk-off, why should I vote for a jerk-off?" Alex -on the other hand- gave me the account of a personal encounter his dad and John Edwards had after the elections: "My dad asked Edwards if he and Kerry still spoke, and Edwards told him 'Not really. Me and John don't like each other, and that's mainly because John only cares about John.' " And you know what? I actually believe that! This is probably his way to start-up his 08 campaign, or even get some excitement going for his senatorial 06 election. Just a way to capitalize on the bad situation and saying "See, if I was elected I would have done so much better. I know what needs to be done you morons". I would really hate for it to succeed, because between him and Hillary, the democrats might be looking forward to an even more humiliating defeat in 08. So please, Shut up John! You've lost, and losers don't get to criticize winners. Just shut up and go away!

The TOMKAT conspiracy

Fox News has an interesting article on Katie Holmes and her dissapearance for 14 days after meeting Tom Cruise and then reappearing, all googly eyed and in love, and firing her manager and agent, and acquiring a new manager whose family has had a very old and lasting ties with the Scientology movement and not talking to her childhood friends. Something is incredibly screwy here. Someone needs to save the Poor girl! Someone needs to help free Katie from the crazy Cruise, who just recently attacked Matt Lauer in an Interview, calling him a glib, and informing him that he doesn't know the history of psychiatry. Apparently the dyslexic Cruise- who never even went to college- has read up on the topic, yet no one seems to have informed him that he really doesn't know what he is talking about, and that the majority of his information is, well, wrong! Free Katie people. The girl needs our help!

I can't help but wonder..

Is this part of a price the US had to pay in order for the more or less peacefull recent anti-Mubarak protests (With the exception of Alaa, Mohamed, and Mostafa getting into scuffles and getting their cameras taken) to take place without major incidents? If that's not it, what kind of deal was cut here? Just the usual arms dealing? If that's the case, is this a price Egypt had to pay to keep the US placated and ease the pressure? I realize i am reaching into my inner-conspiracy theorist, but the timing of it all, one week after Rice's visit, doesn't help but make me slightly paranoid here!

Saint John Paul II?

I have been having problems with Papa Razi- the Catholic church's new pope- for a while now, mainly because in my mind John Paul II is still the freakin Pope. I have grown up with him being Pope, he was the Pope all of my life, and the new one for some reason just doesn't cut it for me as an adequate replacement or successor. As far as i am concerned, Razi is the dude you get to play a soap opera character, when the original actor decides he had enough and quits. The replacment actor is nowhere as good as the original and he tries to do things to get himself accepted, which most of the time backfires. No offense to Catholics, but that's just the way i view him, and he is fullfilling this stereotype by trying to become popular by giving people what they want: D'Alonzo was apparently referring to the chants of "Santo Subito!" or "Sainthood Immediately!" that erupted during John Paul's April 8 funeral. The calls prompted the new pope, Benedict XVI, to waive the traditional five-year waiting period and allow John Paul's saint-making process to begin immediately. I am all for John Paul becoming a Saint, or at least, I have nothing against it. I am just slightly peeved that the Pope has the authority or ability to waive rules just like that. I figure, if you are gonna waive something or have the authority to do so, then waive the church's anti Birth control stance. It's not like the world needs more people. Ehh, whatever! I am slightly curious about this part though: If the Vatican then confirms a miracle has occurred after John Paul's death thanks to his intercession, he can be beatified. A second miracle is needed for him to be made a saint. Hmmm..... Oder said last week he had already received "interesting" reports of a possible miracle that warranted further investigation. LoL, a possible miracle. I love that. So they will look all over the world for possible miraculous events that happend since John Paul II's passing and use it as proof of his sainthood? How do they quantify a miracle? How do they know its linked to John Paul II? Does anybody know? Does it really matter? Dude, just make him a saint and get it over with already. Seriously!

Lahoud is reaching..

According to Pro- Syria Lahoud, Israel and islamic extremists are behind the Lebanon assassinations. Ok, I will repeat that one more time: Israel and Islamic extremists are working together and are behind the assassinations of the prominent Lebanese figures. Now, please refrain from laughing! Or try to anyway.

The new chastity belts

Ever worry about your wife cheating? Want to know where your daughter is late at night? Need to know when your girlfriend's temperature is rising? Then forget- me-not-panties is for you*! Make sure to check out the testimonials. * Yes, i am aware it's a freakin hoax site

Save yourself 20 dollars

and read here the best tidbits about the new nasty-bash-Hillary-Clinton Book "The truth about Hillary". But is it just me, or does it seem to be more focused on bashing Bill Clinton rather than Hillary?

The new Thomas Friedman column in one sentence!

Bush's domestic policies are all nutty and out of whack because Dick Cheney won't be running for president in 2008!

Philosophical question thread

My question is this: Which is the scarier thought? 1) That God doesn't exist? Or 2) That God exists and doesn't care? I am Just curious! Don't mean to offend anyone and i am sorry if i did!

Disturbing

Am I the only one who thinks there is something really wrong about this story?

I can't help feeling this way but...

I am! I really really am. I just can't take the pressure anymore! I can't help but wonder though, does this make me a bad person?

Maybe it's just my bad mood today..

.. but I honestly think that this woman is my new Hero! A Spanish mother has taken revenge on the man who raped her 13-year-old daughter at knifepoint by dousing him in petrol and setting him alight. He died of his injuries in hospital on Friday. Antonio Cosme Velasco Soriano, 69, had been sent to jail for nine years in 1998, but was let out on a three-day pass and returned to his home town of Benejúzar, 30 miles south of Alicante, on the Costa Blanca. While there, he passed his victim's mother in the street and allegedly taunted her about the attack. He is said to have called out "How's your daughter?", before heading into a crowded bar. Shortly after, the woman walked into the bar, poured a bottle of petrol over Soriano and lit a match. She watched as the flames engulfed him, before walking out. The woman fled to Alicante, where she was arrested the same evening. When she appeared in court the next day in the town of Orihuela, she was cheered and clapped by a crowd, who shouted "Bravo!" and "Well done"! I would've cheered with them. I so would've! In my opinion that woman is awesome for doing what she did and what happend to the man was justice. And if i was in a Jury i would never convict her! I would've done the exact same thing if i were in her place and I saw the man that raped my 13 year old daughter walking on the street and taunting me. You wouldn't have?

Oh Boy

That ain't good! Mr Ahmadinejad won 62% of votes, defying predictions of a close race, to defeat the more moderate ex-President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. After his win, Mr Ahmadinejad said he planned to create a "modern, advanced and Islamic" role model for the world. His victory means all the organs of the Iranian state are now in the hands of conservative hardliners. [...] Mr Ahmadinejad has also pledged to tackle corruption and resist Western "decadence". Tackle corruption right? Isn't voter fraud, I don't know, corruption? Reformist candidates accused Iran's Revolutionary Guards and Basij security services of orchestrating a plot to boost Mr Ahmadinejad. Interior ministry officials monitoring polling stations received some 300 complaints of electoral violations in Tehran alone, the Associated Press news agency reports. The Guardian counil ruled by Khameini, naturally, denies that any kind of electoral violation happend. The Iranian bloggers are not very happy about the result of the election and most of them consider Ahmeddinjad's win a disgrace. I love how one Iranian blogger put the result of the election though:"Ahmadinejad wins big. True to form, one of our more prominent writers characterises this seminal event so memorably as the victory of ignorance over injustice!" The new Prez vows to take more of a hardline with european negotiaters over his nuclear policy, because according to him Iranians have been too frightend in their talks before. The man is partially right, because let's face it, there is almost no reason for anyone to be afraid of the europeans. This will be good for the europeans though, it should re-teach them a thing or two on appeasement and where it gets you. It won't be good for the rest of us, especially with the possibility of Israel bombing Iran's nuclear facilities the same way they did Iraq's in the 1980's, which might prompt the Iranians to respond! I have been looking forward to a good nuclear holocaust for a while now and i might just be getting my wish. Sweet!

The Tide is shifting

Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya are starting to call iraqi suicide bombers what they really are: Terrorists! No wonder Al Zarqawi is now mad at al Jazeera!

More Blahh

Someone at my work saw me yesterday at the wedding and went all over the place telling everybody that i was extreemly drunk, which i wasn't. I was slightly tipsy at most, with only 3 drinks in me (it usually takes 7 to 9 drinks to get me drunk; chugging half liter bottles of Jaeger meister and goldschlagger in college will do that to your tolerance) and i was completly composed. But that wasn't the bad part. The bad part was when 3 of my co-workers decided to pull what can only be called an "islamic intervention", asking me why i drink alcohol in the first place and if i was aware of how much i was going to burn in Hell for it. When i informed them that "Yes, i am aware, and i am quite comofrtable with the idea of going to Hell", they got all huffy and proceeded to tell me stories about how if i had died in the wedding i would've been sent to be judged by god in the form i was in (oh the horror). In my attempt to really piss them off, i Informed them that that would've been fine, because then i would meet God while being impeccably dressed, and that i would have a drink with me, which is exactly what you would need if you realized that you just died and that you are meeting God. They shook their heads, told me that they will pray for me and left the room, leaving me secretly cursing assault laws and the fact that it's illegal to shoot people, especially those you work with. Ohh yeah, and a mosquito bit the back of my neck! I am NOT HAVING A GOOD DAY! *pouts*

Blah

Update on Yesterday: The Reunion got canceld thanks to a Narcotics Anonymous meeting (Don't ask. Not me, but just don't ask!) The reconciliation went as planned and as usual nothing really got resolved The Business meeting was boring and useless as always, but we did have an excellent cup of tea and pretended to have achieved some sort of synergy, whatever that means. The Funeral, well, the person was still dead; So yeah, nothing to report there! The Wedding was...drunk, for a lack of a better word. Yay for egyptian open bar weddings. Drama event of the day: a situation that involves an ex of mine- who lives in london- whose ex is trying to get her back and threatning her if she refuses, even though he is due to get married in Egypt in the summer to someone else. My ex called me crying asking for help against his psychoness on the way to the funeral mind you, so i had to 1) Control my temper; 2) Make an international phone call to him where i threatend him that if he doesn't stay away from her, i would to a) cut off his balls, b) kill him , c) tell his fiance about what he was doing or d) Tell his fiance about what he was doing, then cut off his balls and kill him. All that while my dad is sitting next to me on our way to pay our respects to a close family friend, so yeah. Fun times... Shitty event of Today: coming to work with a slight hangover to find that one of the cleaning people went and messed with my computer on saturday (again) and this time they deleted an importnat file that without it i can not boot windows. To make matters more fun, our IT guy is on vacation today. So yeah, i am screwed for the day (using the IT guy's computer to write this). Ehh, screw it, i am taking the rest of the day off. Blogging will commence soon!

Busy Day

I have a reunion, a reconciliation, a business meeting, a funeral and a wedding to go to today! Yeah, I don't think it will be physically possible for me to do any blogging today! Sorry for the inconvenience and please come back tomorrow!

"You don't run things around here!"

The resignation of Ibrahim Saedah, the editor in chief of the state-owned Al-Akhbar newspaper, came as a suprise to everyone involved. Ibrahim, like the other editors in chief of state-owned newspapers like Al Ahram and al Akhbar, has been drawing a lot of fire and criticism from the independent newspapers for being the President's lackeys and staying in charge way after they reached the legal retirment age of 65 years old. His resignation, to many people's surprise, was rejected by Safwat El Sherief, the former Minister of Media and the head of the Shura council: Seada's move, however, drew mixed reactions. El-Sherif, for one, finally spoke up. In a televised interview, he said the editors had been kept on board because "Egypt's national interests required that they remain in their positions. The board chairmen and editors did not impose themselves on anyone. They stayed on because the Shura Council decided that domestic and regional political developments required stability on that front." The editors would stay where they were, El-Sherif said, until the selection process for new candidates was through. This, however, didn't surprise me at all, for three main reasons : 1) The timing issue: there is no way in hell they would bring a new editor in chief and let an old trusted lackey go with the election being so close; 2) The backstabbing issue: El Sherief is one of the old guard, and he is still sour over being replaced from his post as the minister of media by Suzanne Mubarak's lackey Annas el feqqy, who lets face it, has been doing a horrible job as it is and this issue gives Safwat a great opprutunity to undermine him even further. The third and final reason is 3) The autonomy issue: No one, and i mean no one, of the people who hold power posts in the egyptian government, is allowed any kind of autonomy or independence when it comes to their jobs, and that involves leaving it. No one placed in power by the president in egypt gets to resign, they have to be fired, cause "you ain't gonna make the other incompetent fools look bad by doing the honorable thing and resigning." No one in this country is allowed to resign with his honor and dignity in tact, they have to be thrown out in disgrace, and they are likely to get thrown out if they actually try to do their job or actually stand against corruption. No one is allowed to shine, look more honorable or be more popular then the president, let alone respond to the will of the people, cause they don't run things around here. The power elite does. This is the way things work around here, so it's of little or no wonder that nothing ever works at all.

Problems with the Sadat candidacy

When i first heard of Fagr Talat Sadat- the late President Sadat's nephew- decision to run in the egyptian presidential elections, the first thing that came to my mind was that the egyptian presidential elections is starting to eerily resemble the California Recall election, i.e. it's slowly turning into a big joke or a farce. The new Sadat's candidacy is a prime example of that. The man doesn't have the support of either his party ( his memebrship was stripped) nor the Late Sadat's family. As for his political platform, well, check it out: Sadat, an opposition member of parliament for the al-Ahrar or Liberal party, said he stands for the release of all political detainees and higher standards of living. Ehh... Riiight! This is becoming more depressing by the minute!

The MB: Our local Flip Floppers?

I just read Al Jazeera's Interview with Mahdi Akef, the MB's "Murshid" and spokesperson, where he calims that they are already in power. It's pretty amusing. Really, it is. Take this exchange for example: Aljazeera.net: You are officially banned as a party, yet you have some influence in parliament and the Shura Council. Some media refer to you as banned, yet tolerated by the Egyptian government. What is your relationship with the Egyptian government? Mahdi Akef: Dictator governments and regimes have their own terms that they like very much to enforce on the press and the media. At the beginning, the government used to call us a disbanded group. Then they called us a banned group. And I say to them the Muslim brotherhood is an Islamic organisation that acquires its legitimacy from the masses. This is the real democracy; the Muslim brotherhood has the majority of the Egyptian people. The proof is in the election results whether in syndicates or in commissions - the Muslim Brotherhood wins a majority. And they still call us a banned group despite all the media that are interviewing us. Yes, they might support you on principle, but they don't get to chose you. What you are talking about is not democracy, it's popularity. It becomes democracy when those you claim support your organization get to chose its leader and then support him. No one elected Akef, and his organization is only interested in democracy as long as it gets in power. Or am i wrong here? Now, back to the interview.. There are many media and political pundits who say they fear you coming to power because you would install an Iranian-style theocracy. Is this true? We are in Egypt and we have our own vision and our own culture, and our own way of thinking and principles that serve the interest of this nation. But those who sit on fancy chairs and say words that they themselves don't understand, we don't care about them. There are offices that get paid only to insult, criticise and attack the Ikhwan (Brotherhood) and all that we say and do. Notice how he speaks for all egyptians here? Like the MB vision is that of the Egyptian people, and as if their way of thinking is our way of thinking, and anyone who says different is an ignorant elitist who gets paid to defame the MB and should be ignored. Now, doesn't that sound exactly like the current rhetoric of the Egyptian Government and the Mubarak People? That they represent the egyptian people and anyone who critisizes them is nothing but either ignorant or a paid defamer that should be ignored? Isn't that something? Anyway... What role will minorities - Christian, Jewish, and other non-Muslims play in society in your view? We follow our religion and profit in dealing with all people in a respectful way. Islam dignifies Christians and Jews and we hope they treat us the same way. The ignorance of people is what is causing a grudge among them and not their religion. Ok, why did i find this part to be kind of scary? Does this mean that Jews and christians won't be allowed to hold posts of power? Does that mean they will have to pay a Jizzyah for protection? Does that mean that anyone who is not Christian or Jewish will be considerd an Infidel automatically? That's what Islam says, right? And now to my favorite part of the Interview, where you finally see why I don't trust the MB and consider them a bunch of Hypocrites who will do anything to get into power. This is where the MB shows their Flip Flopping nature. Ready? Okay! Flip: How do you view the Kifaya (Enough) and other pro-reform movements in Egyptian politics? Are you working with them to pressure the Egyptian government to institute vital changes to the electoral law? We are not against any of these movements; on the contrary, we rather agree with them. We all work and call for reform and when their demands meet our demands I encourage and support them. But I never stand against them even when our demands differ. The Ikhwan respect all parties and trends despite their differences. LOL! Oh really? Flop: Habib explained that the government will make use of showing citizen's opposition to foreign and American pressure, in particular for maintaining the political change in Egypt where President Hosni Mubarak assumed power since 1981. He added that the demonstration will send a message to the authorities stating that in order to be able to withstand the American pressures you have to "accelerate reforms." The deputy chairman of the Muslim Brothers described the activities if the Egyptian movement for the change "Kefaya" (Enough), which is dominated by liberals and leftists with few Islamists, as a mere parade rather that an organized group. So, it's a respected Parade then? LoL Those people are Unbelievable!

Told you so!

In an update on the story of the egyptian security forces clashing with Sinai Bedouin tribes, it seems that the security forces have decided to end their prusuit of those so-called new suspects of the Taba bombings, because-get this- the suspects have hid in the desert mountains. LOL What's up Mr. Police Officer, you didn't see that one coming? It didn't occur to you that this might happen? And i am sorry, but is that our policy towards escaped terrorist susepects now? If they hide, we let them go and we call off the hunt for them? Wow. Our security surely could not be in more capable hands. Dude, be honest, you are calling it off because you got your ass handed to you over there. As i have said before, you don't want to mess with the Sinai Bedouins.

Hells Bells

In what is sure to be an event of historical prevelance (I love that word, prevelance, such a good word), the angelican american and canadian churches are facing expulsion- after being suspended- for their tolerant stance on gay marriage. The american delegation appealed to the Bible, to charity, to openness and inclusiveness, while the nigerian delegation pushed for their expulsion from the fellowship. I found that interesting because it's something that i am starting to notice about christianity and its rapidly changing face. Christianity historically, more or less, has mostly been a predominantely white religion, with the majority of their memebrs based in western countries. This is no longer the case. Faced with the declining participation and faith in the western countries (again the US is the exception here), more and more churches-regardless of denominations- seem to be focusing their efforts on Latin and African countries, as if giving up on their old markets and seeking new ones. This is casuing the powerbase of christianity to shift away from the hands of the white patriarchs towards those of other ethnicities (remember the calls for a black or latin pope?) in order to appeal more to those new religious recruits. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It's just a random observation. On a more disturbing note, a polygamous sect in Utah threw out almost 1000 of its young male members in order to make more young women available for older men. Those who got casted out - some as young as 13- were simply dumped on the side of the road and told by the other church members that they will never see their families again or go to Heaven. This makes sense according to their rules, because the sect believes that a member has to marry at least 3 women or they won't get to go to heaven. I am not quite sure what the point behind this belief is, but it's almost like saying that the act of marrying women is some sort of trial of faith or a necessary evil that must be endured in order to purify one's soul from its sins and go to heaven. If that is truly the case, then marrying at least 3 women seems like a cruel and unnecessary punishment. I mean, sharing a bathroom with 3 women for a year in itself enough to test anyone's faith (I know from experience, trust me), let alone for the rest of your life. Also keep in mind that 3 is the minimum and not the maximum number of wives that you should have, so the extra faithfull might really chalk up 5 or 6 wives in order to really gurantee going to heaven. I can see how that could be a punishment and a way to atone for your sins; Hell, the nagging alone would probably do the trick( Just kidding. I am, Really!)! The women probably go to Heaven by being obedient to their husbands and not mind participating when he likes to play "the Sultan and his nymphomaniac bisexual harem" in the bedroom. Now that's my kind of religion! In other news, the Southern Baptists have ended their eight year boycott to Disney, which was news to me because i wasn't even aware that such a boycott was in effect or that southern Baptists actually adhered to it(the ones i knew sure didn't!). The article is unclear on the reasons of the boycott, but i have always felt that disney was evil and i am positive that the movies The little Mermaid and Aladdin had something to do with it, you know, with the former's Phallic shaped Palace Speres and Princess Jasmine being a big Harlot. We live in a fun fun world!

Why you should donate

As you can see to your right, I have added a donations button to my blog, thanks to my very old and good friend Kelly who agreed to create a paypal account for me (Kelly babe, luv ya!). Now , some of you may wonder to yourselves or publicly: “Why would I give an arrogant, self-involved know-it-all like you any of my money?”. Well, my dear skeptical cheap friend, let me tell you why, if supporting the Neo-con American Right-wing Zionist Christian Imperialist Conspiracy in the Middle-east isn't a good enough reason for you. First of all, I have had this blog up for a while now, and anyone who reads it can tell the time and effort I put in it. Well, what you don’t know that this time and effort came on the expense of my actual work, my social life and my sweet precious sleep. I have brought things to your attention that no one else did, and I have amused you with funny anecdotes and links, and I have entertained you and brought a smile to your face with my wit and humor. I have monitored, read, researched, reported and discussed all kinds of things that have raised my blood pressure and depressed me unnecessarily. I have said things about the regime and this country that are dangerous to say in public, let alone post it on the web in English, and I have done it without regard to my personal safety or convenience. I have done all this for over 7 months now and I did it all for you dear reader, all of it, without receiving a penny in return. Don’t you think it’s about time you gave something back to me, when I have given so much to you? Hmm, and if it’s not enough reason, think of it as an investment or insurance. You investing in me and my safety and insuring that I have a way out in case the shit hits the fan down here. This money , in essence, will be my runaway money in case bad things happen. It will also mean that –if I am able to raise enough- I might be able to come visit the states by the end of this summer, since my earlier visit has pretty much obliterated my savings and left me penniless. If you would like to meet me someday, that’s what this money will ensure: That the Sandmonkey would come to a town near you. The way I see it, this website receives anywhere from 600 to 900 unique visitors per day. Now if I can get just 300 of you to donate 10 dollars each, I would have enough money for me to come visit and stay for a week or two. Imagine that. 10 dollars. All of my hard work and effort , for a measly 10 dollars. You are getting one hell of a deal here. And if you agree that my work is more valuable then that, then please feel free to donate more. As much as you like really! Just get me to my figure of $3000, so that I can have my runaway money just in case things go to hell after the September elections and Mubarak decides to come after people like me. You still didn't donate? What are you waiting for? Push that donate button already. Jeez!

"I want to meet god now, and i mean NOW!"

Is it bad that i find this to be funny? Iraq's most feared terror group said Tuesday that it has formed a unit of potential suicide attackers who are exclusively Iraqis, an apparent bid to deflect criticism that most suicide bombers in Iraq are foreigners. [...] "In response to God's decree, and the heavy insistence of the (Iraqi) brothers and their longing for paradise, the Ansar platoon from the land of Iraq has been formed," the posting said. Can you just imagine their insistence? "Zarqawi, now listen up. I can't take this life for one more day. I have no money, i live with my mom, i can't get laid and Allah said that there are 72 horny virgins with my name written on their asses waiting for me to deflower them. And as you know, and as i have heard, there is nothing better then sex with a virgin, so sleeping with 72 should be 72 times the pleasure! That's a lot of pleasure dude. So will you please from this group and give me some explosives so i can get me some heavenly punanni? Stop cockblocking me man, i need to get some badly!" I am sure it didn't go exactly like that, but close enough, right? Oh wait, they even have an example of their own. "Dozens hurried to register their names to meet their God," the posting said. It told of one Iraqi youth who had rebuked his leader for failing to give him a suicide assignment, telling him he would complain to God on the Day of Judgment because "you prevented me from meeting my God." But dude, what if God doesn't wanna meet you? I mean, God is the creator of the Universe and all, so he is kinda busy. Why would you think he would want to meet your sorry ass? Because you blew yourself up? Dude, get in line! Yeah, that long one over there. I know, i know, it says Hell at the door, but that's where God wants you to go for now. Think of it as a waiting room. He should see you in a millennia or two. Don't hold your breath though. Or do, you are dead anyway! The audacity of it all astound me. Like they got God on call. Like they are a shoe in to heaven because they kill some innocent people. Like that's what the Koran preaches. Do they even freakin read? Arghhhhh Ohh, but don't fret about this. I know who to blame for this. That's right, the USA. After all, Al Zarqawi is a US agent. What? you didn't know? But it was reported in an Egyptian state-owned newspaper and you know that those never ever lie! Cause you see, they are not owned by the evil Joooooozzzzz! Hmm..........

That's what i call a rant

Kat is really really really really and i mean really mad at the US media and the "dissenting opposition"! Watch out boys, she knows Kung-Fu!

I feel pretty..ohh so pretty

Welcome to the scary horrid world of the Miss Georgia Sex Offenders 2004 Pageant. (Hattip Salieri) Those women sure are both NAUGHTY & HOT! (shudder)

It is depressing...

....that the level of discourse is this low in DC. Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean responding to criticism from the vice president, said he doesn't "care if Dick Cheney likes my mother or not." Now you would think that cheney insulted his mother or something. Right? Nope! The vice president said in a recent interview that Dean was not the type of person to lead a political party and mentioned the chairman's mother. "I've never been able to understand his appeal. Maybe his mother loved him, but I've never met anybody who does. He's never won anything, as best I can tell," Cheney said in an interview on Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes." hmm, the response? "But we gotta be there and fight in order to do it. And believe me, we are going to fight back. I don't care if Dick Cheney likes my mother or not. We are going to fight back," Dean said to cheers and applause. "I think it's great that Dick Cheney went after me, to be honest. At least they notice there's a Democratic Party that's not going to put up with this stuff any more. Yeah dude. We are noticing something allright!

Conversation: NDP Mom on Condi

*My NDP mom was one of the people that met with Condi during her visit to Cairo yesterday. When she called me to tell me about it to try to break the ice between us (I have been really mad at her for not demanding an investigation into what happend to the women at the referendum) the following exchange took place!* Mom: So i met Condi today! Me: Did you now? So how was it? Did you get to talk to her at all? Mom: No. Not really. Just said hi. You know that she looks much better in person then she does in pictures? Her lips are a lot smaller! Me: Hmm... really? What does that have to do with anything? Mom: Well, nothing really. Anyway. She was very well spoken, and her answers to people's questions were very diplomatic and not combative at all as it was known about her. Me: Mom, she is a Diplomat. ehh.. anyway! What did she say? Mom: Well, her speech was nice and productive. No insulting of the regime or anything like that. She spoke about how the whole Koran mishandeling thing was something the US took very seriously and was not happy about . When someone pressed her on the humanatarian situation of the palestinian children she acknoweldged that it's bad and said that the US hasn't been doing enough about it and will be in the future. Very very smart Lady. Me: Mom. Of course she is smart. Woman is a prodigy, she got her PHD when she was like 19. It's why she got the job she has. Mom: Well, she sure didn't get it because of her looks. Me: Oh my god. You are horrible! Mom: Hehehehehe.

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Sigh....

Al Zarqawi is an american Agent!

Un-effin-believable: In a June 15, 2005 editorial titled "All the Evidence Proves that Al-Zarqawi is an American Agent," a leading Egyptian government daily Al-Akhbar's states that Al-Zarqawi is working for the U.S. and is massacring Iraqis in an effort to extend the occupation in Iraq. [1] The following are excerpts from the article: "All Evidence Proves that Al-Zarqawi Works for America" "All the evidence proves that Abu Mus'ab Al-Zarqawi is working for America, because his victims are Iraqis and not [members of] the coalition forces under the command of the American occupation forces in Iraq. Abu Mus'ab Al-Zarqawi's official title is 'leader of Al-Qa'ida's faction in Iraq.' Osama bin Laden is the commander of the Al-Qa'ida organization, and this proves that [Al-Zarqawi's commander,] bin Laden, has [also] been an American agent ever since he operated against the USSR forces in Afghanistan in favor of the Americans! "Let's read the statement issued two days ago on behalf of Al-Zarqawi in Iraq after he killed and wounded dozens of people from among the Interior Ministry and Iraqi army forces, by means of booby-trapped cars in a number of cities in Iraq! "Raising a few questions is unavoidable in order to clarify the situation and [to understand] who this Al-Zarqawi with Jordanian nationality is. "One of the questions is: which of the two should Al-Zarqawi oppose – the American occupation army and the foreign coalition forces, or the Iraqi military and police forces?! The statement issued by Al-Zarqawi and his organization says that they struck and killed dozens of [members of] the Interior Ministry and Iraqi army forces, whereas there was no mention of Al-Zarqawi targeting the American occupation forces and the coalition forces of the various nationalities. [In fact,] the statement did not even mention the occupation army in Iraq!" The Massacre of the Iraqi People is Aimed at Strengthening the U.S. Occupation in a Region Vital to American Interests "Another question [to be raised] is whether the world is so naive as to believe the American statements, which claim that Washington has allocated $25 million for Al-Zarqawi's arrest or for information leading to his arrest. [After all,] why arrest Al-Zarqawi and allocate all these millions while he is working for America? "In addition, why is Al-Zarqawi massacring innocent Iraqi citizens and [members of] the Iraqi National Guard, the Iraqi army and the Iraqi Interior Ministry? Al-Zarqawi undeniably aims to harm the Iraqi people and members of the Iraqi forces, who undergo training to protect [their] homeland in the future. This massacre of the Iraqi forces and the Iraqi people is meant to strengthen the American occupation of the region [that is known to be] the main route to Central Asia, formerly under USSR control, [and that is] rich in oil wells, and surrounds Iran and the Caspian Sea..." No comment! Just, no comment! I have to go puke now!

Saddam, we hardly knew ya!

Saddam on reality: He still belives that he is President of Iraq. Saddam on choosing a wife : "You gotta find a good woman. Not too smart, not too dumb. Not too old, not too young. One that can cook and clean." Saddam on American Presidents: "admires President Reagan, thinks Clinton was "OK" and considers both Presidents Bush "no good." " Saddam on Bush Jr. : " he doesn't hold any hard feelings and he just wanted to talk to (George W.) Bush, to make friends with him" Hmmm... Read this article to discover the Saddam Hussein we never knew!

Catharsis

Dear everybody, I have been gone for a few days now, because I have been contemplating shutting down this blog. I always figured that the best way to do it is to just walk away and not say a word. Just disappear. And that was what I planned to do. The reasons are many, and you’ve probably heard them all before. But I guess the main reason was related to what happened in the last referendum, and how it was ignored by all the known big-time bloggers ( Like Buzzmachine, LGF, Instapundit, Andrew Sullivan, Dailykos) and the MSM in the US. It was like everyone chose to ignore the event, or the events that happened afterwards, and act as if the referendum was all right, that the constitutional amendment was fair, and that Egypt would soon join Lebanon and Iraq in the democratic Arab countries club. It didn’t matter how much I and every other Pro-Democracy Egyptian bloggers wrote about it, the story was never really picked up. It made me feel as if we were yelling at the storm, as if we were ineffectual and completely on our own. That we, the Egyptians, were sold out for some inexplicable reason by the rest of the world and were left completely out in the cold. That idea, naturally, left me all kinds of depressed and feeling as if this whole blogging for democracy and reforms thing was a dangerous futile waste of time. Futile because nothing would ever change and dangerous because no one will look out for us or help us out if “they” ever came after any of us. However, after some soul searching and some introspection to reassess the reasons why I started this blog in the first place, I realized that I was being a whiney bitch and that there is no way in hell that I would chose to end it. Screw it! So what if it’s futile and dangerous? I knew that when I first started this blog; that it was just going to be me ranting and raving so openly about all the things that piss me off, especially the extreme senseless anti-Americanism prevalent in this country. And yet I’ve been proven wrong at that, because everyday I get e-mails from Egyptians telling me how much they agree with me and what I have to say, which gives me hope that I am making a difference in some way. So what if we were sold out by the MSM? Like they ever do their job right anyway? And so what if the big bloggers ignored us? It’s their blogs, they can chose to post whatever they want on them (I know I do) and it’s not like we need them. It’s not like freedom in Egypt is dependent on Instapundit or Andrew Sullivan paying attention to what’s going on in the most populated Arab Islamic country (even though they should). It is, however, dependent on Egyptians paying attention, Egyptians demanding change, and Egyptians acting out and doing what they believe to be right, no matter how dangerous or futile it may be in this country of ours. We should never quit, even if everyone sells us out, because we are fighting for our country and our rights. We should never compromise, even in the face of Armageddon, because that’s where we are heading anyway if things stay the way they are. We should never hide or be afraid, even if the security forces clamp down on us and our activities after the September elections- which I believe they will- because they rely on our fear of them to do whatever they want. Not this time you bastards. We have been living in fear for far too long and by doing that we have screwed this country over. Not anymore! It stops here. At least for me! We have to stand our ground and stand up for what we believe in; otherwise we deserve whatever happens to us on the hands of the tyrants who rule us. I say screw them. It’s either us or them, and I am not going anywhere. The Sandmonkey

Al-Zawahri a women's rights activist?

Al-Qaida number two Ayman al-Zawahri released a statement that condemned the assaults carried on egyptian females on the day of the referendum, you know, after the usual " We must drive the zionist and americans out of the land of Mohamed" and " any reform has to be according to the sharia" and the always popular "we have to fight for god in order to get freedom" rhetoric. You know, basically all of his greatest hits. In the video, the Egyptian-born al-Zawahri is seen speaking with a machine gun next to him. Al-Zawahri's message is particularly critical of the Pakistani, Saudi Arabian and Egyptian governments. "Driving out the invading crusader forces and Jews from our Muslim homes cannot be realised solely through demonstrations and speaking out in the streets," he said. "Reform and expelling the invaders from Muslim countries cannot be accomplished except by fighting for the sake of God." [...] Al-Zawahri referred to protest-demonstrations in Cairo last month against the Egyptian constitutional referendum in which female protesters and several female reporters were allegedly molested by plain-clothed ruling party supporters. Al-Zawahri, considered to be Osama bin Laden's second in command, criticised what he said were violations of women's rights during the Egyptian protests. Cause you know, him and Bin Laden, are all for women's rights! The funny thing was reading Al-Ahram's spin.. i mean version of the tape released. Basically in a small excerpts on page 6 they said that Al Zawahiri released a new tape condemning foreign interference and western-like european reform in arab countries, and was critical of a number of arab governments, while not specifiying which governments or the reasons. LOL We definitely live on Spin Alley over here in the good ole Middle East! UPDATE: Go read Nadz's excellent post on Al Zawahiri's statements. Me and that girl are definitely telepathic!

This is found nowhere in the Egyptian Media

I keep looking for confirmation in the egyptian newspapers for this, but so far i've found Zilch. Egyptian forces swept the Sinai peninsula Friday for men suspected of deadly October 2004 resort bombings, sparking clashes that left a policeman and a gunman dead, security sources said. I thought they already arrested all the people who acted in the Taba Bombings. Guess they lied about that too. Acting on a tip, 1,000 police launched an operation in the centre of the Red Sea peninsula and were met with armed resistance from the suspects and the Bedouin tribes protecting them, the sources said. The reason why the Bedouin tribes are protecting them? Security services detained hundreds of people in the Sinai region following the bombings, sparking a string of protests from detainees' relatives and criticism from rights groups. Most of those detained naturally have not been released yet, nor were granted any form of trial or due process. Yay for the emergency law! Joking aside, this was not a wise move by the egyptian security authorities, you know, to piss off the Sinai Bedouin tribes. Those people- whom I know a lot personally- are hardcore: They have their own rules, they don't recognize any state authority, they are armed, and they know the desert like no one else because they make most of their money from smuggling. They can strike, inflict maximum damage and disappear like that, and the IDF forces that occupied Sinai from 1967 till 1973 can attest to that. They security authorities better not push it, because if this escalates, it will be a war they will most certainly not win!

Howard Dean says something right for a change

As an example of their consistent efforts to turn themselves into a minority party permanatly, Michigan Rep. John Conyers- the senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee- and other Democratic party members organized a forum to publicize and discuss the infamous Downing Street memo. Discussing this memo isn't what's going to make them a minority party though, it's the other stuff that was discussed there: Conyers' event occurred in a small Capitol meeting room, and an overflow crowd watched witnesses on television in a conference room at DNC headquarters. According to Dean, some material distributed within the DNC conference room implied that Israel was involved in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. One witness, former intelligence analyst Ray McGovern, told Conyers and other House Democrats that the war was part of an effort to allow the United States and Israel to "dominate that part of the world,". Now before all the looney conspiracy theorist arab readers who come here jump in joy for finding that the Democrats are on their side, well, don't jump the gun on that one: The DNC chairman Howard Dean ( I found that i can't use Howie D. cause that's a Backstreet Boy) said something right for a change and fiercly ( see also: angrily) condemned those statements and allegations on the DNC website: We disavow the anti-Semitic literature, and the Democratic National Committee stands in absolute disagreement with and condemns the allegations. [...] But anti-Semitism and bigotry are unacceptable and un-American, and they have no place in civil political discourse. As for any inferences that the United States went to war so Israel could 'dominate' the Middle East or that Israel was in any way behind the horrific September 11th attacks on America, let me say unequivocally that such statements are nothing but vile, anti-Semitic rhetoric. The inferences are destructive and counterproductive, and have taken away from the true purpose of the Judiciary Committee members' meeting. The true prupose of the meeting was-naturally- to take swipes at the republican party and Bush and not the Jews, which are - for some inexplicable reason- some of the biggest supporters and donors to the Democratic Party. If i was a conspiracy theorist myself,which i am not, i would say that it's probably because it was the republican Nixon who orderd the Cease-Fire before Egypt completly lost the Yom Kippur War, it was the republican Bush Sr. who threatend the use of sanctions against Israel if they didn't seriously commit to the Peace process, and it's the republican Bush Jr. who was the first american president in history to publically call for a two state soloution and giving the Palestinian people their own autonomous state. But if you get confused with those facts, rememebr : it's the Democrats who are for a fair peace in the middle-east, and it's the republicans who like to eat muslim/ arab/palestinian babies for breakfast to please their imperialist zionist overlords. Hmm.....

On the Iranian election and the MSM

Cocerning all the hooplah in the media regarding the Iran Preisdential elections and how much of a success it is and how it got voters flocking, well, I present to you the Yahoo story on it and you can make up your own mind on this: "Fight the enemy by casting a vote," said Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — head of the non-elected Islamic theocracy whose near-absolute power can override both the president and parliament. [...] More than 46.7 million Iranians were eligible to vote. Security was on high alert after several recent bombings, but no violence or unrest was reported. More than 254 polling stations were set up around the world, including 36 in the United States. [...] After polls closed, Interior Ministry spokesman Johanbakhsh Khanjani announced turnout in some provinces had exceeded 80 percent. In others it varied between 65 and 80 percent. Turnout reached nearly 67 percent four years ago in a Khatami landslide. [...] Karroubi had 22 percent of the roughly 14 million votes counted by early Saturday, while Rafsanjani had 21.3 percent, according to state-run Islamic Republic News Agency. However, those returns did not include urban areas, which could significantly change the balance in favor of Rafsanjani and the reform-minded Mostafa Moin, a former culture minister. 47 million eligable voters. 65- 80 % turn out. 14 million votes counted. Yep, i am with Stefania on that one. This election is a Sham!

Au Naturel

I find this incredibly amusing: The United States is a deeply conservative country and some inhibitions take time to cast off, but Americans are starting to flock to beaches and country parks reserved for nudists, especially at the luxury end of the market. "People are looking for a more relaxed way to spend their vacation," according to Carolyn Hawkins, public relations coordinator for the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR). "They find visiting a nudist resort, they can travel more and pack less." Travel more and pack less! That's just about the best reason I've heard to go on one of those nude "au naturel" cruises. That should be their slogan! The Problem is, it's usually filled with the kind of people you really don't want to see naked. Oh well...

A sign of things to come?

The government arrests Kifaya Mmembers, and releases Muslim Brotherhood members on the same day! Egyptian police detained a doctor and a lawyer on June 14 for handing out opposition pamphlets to passersby on a Cairo street, police and their party said. Mohammed Shafik and Ahmed Saad had been handing out leaflets calling for an end to the state of emergency in force in Egypt since 1981, an official of their Kifaya (Enough) party said. "Enough of corruption, unemployment, repression and arrests. Enough of a party that is neither patriotic nor democratic," the pamphlets said, mocking the name of the ruling National Democratic Party. [...] Egyptian authorities on June 14 released a group of 137 supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood movement who had been rounded up during a string of pro-reform protests last month, judicial sources said. Those freed included engineers, doctors and students from various cities in the northern delta region and southern Egypt. The release, ordered by Attorney General Maher Abdel Wahid, came two days after the authorities freed 163 members of the movement. God help us all!

Microsoft is for censorship!

I don't know if you guys heard of how Microsoft has to censor certain words in order to have a chinese protal in China, but if you didn't, now you do! For a prime example, please go here to see someone's first hand experience testing the chinese Microsoft computerized Internet censorship (screenshots incldued). It's a brave new world out there!

Batman Begins Review in one sentence

They've finally done it right!

Mubarak seeks re-election and VP

Well, is anyone really surprised that he is planning to run again? It's like the biggest non-secret in Egypt! Oh well, now everyone will wonder who the VP will be, because chances are, he will be Egypt's next President! That's if Suzanne Mubarak doesn't take over the power before that happens that is! US readers, you guys are lucky: At Least Hillary will have to go through the process. Hmphhhhhh

100,000 Visitors! Woohooooooo

You know, i just noticed that this blog has crossed the 100,000 visitors milestone in less then 5 months. Sure it's not something compared to other blogs and wesbites, but it means a lot to me and my little tiny blog that i never expected to get this big. I couldn't have done it without you guys. So to all of those who read me daily because they like what i write, to all of those who read me daily because i piss them off royally, to all of the supporters, the detractors, the haters, the lovers, the one-time visitors and all of those who blog-rolled me, forwarded my links and posted them on forums or other people's comments sections. To all of you who made this accomplishment possible, I say :

THANK YOU! YOU ARE THE BEST! I LOVE YOU ALL!

Muahhh...

Private Post : The Betrayal of Life

A few days ago, my friend O. passed by and picked me up after work because he wanted to go out and talk and stuff. We passed by Mc Donald's and picked up a couple of large cokes (It was hot out), and then we headed out to Heliopolis (a neighborhood in cairo) to meet our friend Peri. Peri wanted to eat something, but had no idea where she wanted to eat, so O. suggested this new place called "Makany", which means "My place" in arabic, because it had excellent salad and light food, which is what we were feeling like having anyway. So we agreed to go there to check it out. Something new to do, you know? Anyway.. We get to the place, and it’s pretty cool: it has this awesome layout, the service is friendly, and the food seems inventive yet delicious. Everything is ok, except, for some reason, I couldn’t feel comfortable. There was something bothering me about that place, and I couldn’t put my finger on it. I then walked outside, walked in the back and saw the street that the restaurant gave its back to, and the stores there, and suddenly it all came back to me, and I finally figured out what was bothering me about that place. It was Aunt Gigi's old house. Hmm, let me explain, since you probably don't know who she is. Aunt Gigi isn't really an aunt of mine, but rather an old friend of my dad. She was this fun and crazy woman that loved kids, and me and my sister used to go to her place all the time, because it was right next to my Dad's work. She always had the best candy, she always had the best TV shows, she was always funny and fun and always knew cool stuff. She used to read the tarot cards to my sister all the time, and she is the one who taught me how to read them. She however, for some unexplained reason, refused to read mine. One day I remember I begged her to do it, and she relents, opens the cards, and the after looking at them she takes them away. She tells me that she won't do it; that my future is better to remain unknown to me. The woman was divorced, and had two daughters that almost never visited her, and an ex-husband that was an asshole, and who did nothing but try to make her life hell. I could never figure out why things were this way, but I guess it was because the woman was like a big kid. She wasn't a grown up in any way, shape or form, and that's what me and my sister loved so much about her I guess. As far as we were concerned, she was one of the best things that ever happened to us. Then one day my dad came home and informed us that Gigi died. Just like that. Brain aneurism. No one could do anything. Gigi was no more. I remember that I cried for her, and I didn't cry for my grandfather who died just a few months earlier, because I loved her so much. It bothered me for a while, the fact that a woman like that was gone like that while her jerk Husband was still alive, and then like everything else, I forgot about it and about her. Life moved on, and new memories erased old ones, which slowly faded away. I guess they are designed this way for a reason. Just the way of the world, you know? That was 12 years ago. And here I was, sitting in her house again, and it's no longer her house. In my memory I can see the old living room and the big dinning room where I used to run around as a kid, which now are the seating area in the restaurant; her bedroom where we used to watch TV and the meditation corner where she read her cards, which is now the Kitchen and the fridge; the set up she had in her Garden where we used to sit and enjoy a beautiful sunny summer day, which is now the restaurant's garden. I can see it all, and I can see that it's all gone. No trace of the history of the remarkable person who occupied this space for 20 years before dying 12 years ago. Just a nifty hip little restaurant, where all the waiters speak to you in English and the coffee costs three times what it costs in coffee shops. She was GONE! You don't think about stuff like that, you know? You don't think of what will happen to your house after your death: you figure your kids will live in it! You figure that the place that holds the memories of a life no different than any other except that it was yours would carry on that memory forever. That's part of what you leave behind, and you figure people will respect it. But they don't. A fresh coat of paint, some new furniture, some new tenants, and every trace of you having ever lived there is gone. And the joke in this particular case is that it won't be a place where a new family will come and make their own memories; Instead it's a place where people come, eat, converse and leave. It's a place no one really occupies: Just a brief stay and we will be on our way. We got places to go, you know? Heh, come to think of it, this case in no exception, because that's almost exactly what it's like to live in a real house. That's what people do in houses, right? They come, they eat, they relax, they have conversations or fights or whatever, and then they are gone. Nothing personal; we are just motes of dust you see, with lives so short we might as well not live at all. I guess that's the real betrayal of it all: That there is nothing personal about it! Just the way things are. It would be semi-acceptable, or at least understandable, if this eradication of our memories was done out of hate or malice, but the fact that it's done out of nature, out of the need for money, that you are doomed to disappear just because it's part of the cycle, that's the true betrayal of Life : That it goes on without us! As if we’ve never lived at all!