Katrina Relief Effort

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Devestation

This is New Orleans after Katrina. It seems I spoke here too soon.

Needless to say, the situation is horrible: The levee system that keeps the water out broke down, the city is sinking, Martial law is declared, the amount of homeless and people looking for shelter grew, 2 people died in the Superdome shelter already, there are mass riots and lootings, and even the cops are looting with the looters.

And to show their sympathy with this human tragedy, the walking human douchebags that planned the MTV's VMA award show had a theme of "Water Works", with fake rain falling and drenching Kelly Clarckson during her performance and 50 cent using huge water cannons to drench the crowds. Oh MTV, that's really cool how you did the whole fake flooding while a real city is being flooded and people are dying by the minute.Nice going assholes!

Sigh...

The Bad Joke that is the Egyptian Election

When I saw this news article I almost fell on the floor laughing. Police have been ordered to exercise "maximum self-restraint" during Egypt's first contested presidential campaign and to prevent a repeat of attacks against opposition protesters, reformist Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif said Monday. LOL. Ok, hold on, what does it say about our Police when they are asked to "exercise maximum self-restraint"? Huh? Can someone tell me? Because, to me, it sounds like they are admitting that police brutality is the norm here, and that they are asking them to hold off on it until the elections is over. "After that , feel free not to exercise maximum self-restraint boys. Beat the shit out of anyone you want." Ohh, and it gets better.. Nazif acknowledged there had been scattered violence and "a few incidents in tens of thousands of poll stations" during the May 25 referendum on constitutional amendments to allow the multicandidate vote. "What I can assure you is that all this happened not because the government wanted it," he said. "We didn't really want it, but we didn't really mind it either, as you can see by the fact that not a single arrest has been made in those incidents, despite the existnace of pictures and videos showing the faces of the perpetrators and the police officers that allowed them to not excercise self-restraint", he said. "And no one can do anything about it. Is this a great country or what?" Ohh, and he rejected again any International monitoring of the elections, because of- I shit you not- sovreignty issues: Nazif again rejected the presence of international monitors during the vote, saying "Egypt is a country that considers its sovereignty at a very high priority." "Monitors in terms of supervising the elections — that won't be accepted, we said that very clearly," he said. Ahh, oh well. It's a good thing that we at least have the Egyptian Judges supervising the elections. You remember them, they issued this report showing that the constitutional ammendment referendum was a sham? Good thing they will be monitoring the elections, they will minimize the foul play, you know? Ohh, wait, this just in: Apparently 1700 Judges were informed yesterday that they will not be allowed to monitor the elections. Those are the same Judges who are demanding Judicial independece, issued the aforemention report and demanded full monitoring and transperancy in the elections. Yeah, they are not allowed to monitor the elections anymore. My dad always said that Democracy in Egypt is joke. Just not , you know, a good joke. I think he is right.

Christopher Hitchens takes on male circumcision

Christopher Hitchens, in his new column, is mad as hell at Mayor Bloomberg for his stance on an incident involving male circumsicion gone horribly wrong. You see, what happend is.. ehh... it's quite disgusting... ehh.. just read: A circumcision ritual practiced by some Orthodox Jews has alarmed city health officials, who say it may have led to three cases of herpes—one of them fatal—in infants. … The practice is known as oral suction, or in Hebrew, metzitzah b'peh: after removing the foreskin of the penis, the practitioner, or mohel, sucks the blood from the wound to clean it. EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW This, Hitchens reports, isn't a new or an isolated incident: The continuing scandal of this practice, which most Jews abandoned many years ago, is newly illustrated by the death of one little boy from type-1 herpes, and the infection of two others, in Staten Island and Brooklyn, after they had been subjected to this ritual by the same mohel. Let's be clear what's involved here. The Times refers to an article published last year in the journal Pediatrics that argued that metzitzah b'peh carries a serious health risk and is, for that reason alone, a violation of Jewish law. ("We suspect … that this entity is underreported for cultural reasons and that the studies described here are only the "tip of the iceberg" of the true incidence of the disease," the authors note). So what does Bloomberg have to do with it? Ehh, well, here is his reaction to the infants who contracted herpes from the practitioner: We're going to do a study, and make sure that everyone is safe and at the same time, it is not the government's business to tell people how to practice their religion. A study. On how having someone suck the blood off an infant's penis after circumsizing them maybe not very healthy or sanitary. Right. Cause you need that. Hitchens feels the same way I do apparently... Study? What study? Can't the fool get through an article by a Jewish authority in Pediatrics? For the Times reporter to add that Mayor Bloomberg's comment appeared to be designed not to "upset a group that can be a formidable voting bloc" was, in the circumstances, worse than superfluous. Ok, if you want to circumsize your boy, do it in the hospital people. Let the doctor do it as well: If you should let anyone go near your son with a satchel or a cutting tool, it should be the medically certified dude. That's what we do in Egypt. WTF are the jewish people in New York doing? Bloomberg, get a spine: If you are gonna ban cigerette smoking in bars, you may as well ban non-medically supervised circumsicion, because, you know, they have a different name for that. It's called genital mutilation, and I have a feeling that that's not legal.

Egypt: We will not rest until Palestine is liberated

This shit pisses me off: A senior Egyptian envoy told the Palestinian parliament Tuesday that Egypt will not rest until the Palestinians have established a state on land captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast War. I guess we will not be resting for a while, huh? The envoy, Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, spoke in the name of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and used particularly strong language to support the Palestinians. "It's time to see the suffering ended, to see the prisoners released and to see the Palestinian territories living in security and prosperity," Suleiman said. Oh, and here are some more quotes from Ritzy's post on it: "Our security cannot be guaranteed while you are being threatened. We cannot rejoice while you suffer. We will not be silent until you have recovered your legitimate rights,” he added. Ok, you know what? Let me be the first to say it : Screw the palestinians (Sorry Nadz, but it's not personal). Do that shit in Egypt first, ok? It's time to see the egyptian people's suffering ending, our prisoners released, our legitimate rights recoverd and our territories living in security and propserity. After you do that, talk about the palestinians and about helping them all you freakin want, ok? I am not going to stop you. I am sorry, but i am sick and tired of the issue of Palestine to be the focus and the excuse of the Egyptian government. We do have other problems you know, big ones, that if you had applied to it 10% of the attention you gave the palestinain cause we wouldn't be in this mess we are in. Stop the goddamn alturism, no one else but us does it anyway and we are precisely the people who can not afford to do it. CUT THIS SHIT OUT. So, one last time, repeat after me: Egypt first, everyone else second. Ok? Good.

Childbirth is not sexy

A couple of men declared to their therapists that they have been sexually traumatized after watching their wives childbirth experience, and uber-femenist bloggers went on the offensive decrying such male jerks and comapring them to racists. hmm... Ok, let's be honest here: While having a child is a beautifull experience, the actual process of childbirth is not: It's messy, it's painful, there is blood and goo everywhere and then the grand finale of having a whole baby come out of the woman's vagina. Yeah, doesn't really turn me on and if it turns you on then there is something wrong with you. Sorry women, but i bet if you watched a videotape of it you will not be getting horny anytime soon either. Luckily Meghan O'Rourke wrote an excellent article here to set those women straight.

Sharon vs. Bibi

This should make my egyptian readers happy: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon yesterday lambasted former finance minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his arch rival for the Likud leadership. "Netanyahu is prone to panic. He panics and loses his cool - and such a person cannot lead a country," Sharon said on the Channel 10 program, "London and Kirschenbaum," broadcast last night [...] "Whoever flees responsibility a week before presenting the state budget and abandons his work team is an irresponsible man and I would not rely on him to run a country," he said. Bibi, on the other hand, declared that he intends to challange Sharon for Likud's leadership: Benjamin Netanyahu announced Tuesday that he would challenge Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for leadership of the ruling Likud Party and replace him as premier, setting off a bitter fight that could shake up Israeli politics and paralyze Mideast peacemaking. Appealing to his hawkish supporters, Netanyahu lashed out at Sharon for his unilateral pullout from the Gaza Strip accusing him of creating a de facto Palestinian state — and said he would take a far tougher stance. And he intends to take on Sharon for it: The Sharon-Netanyahu battle burst into the open after a party tribunal ruled Monday that the 3,000-member Likud Central Committee, stacked with Netanyahu supporters, could set a primary date in a Sept. 25 vote. Netanyahu would benefit from a quick leadership contest. Sharon, whose standing in the hard-line party plunged because of his Gaza pullout plan, needs more time to reposition himself and stage a comeback. But this could be political suicide for the Likud, because: Some confidantes have advised the prime minister to leave the party he helped found three decades ago and create a new centrist party with Likud moderates, capitalizing on the broad popularity Sharon enjoys among the general public. A Netanyahu-led Likud is expected to win far fewer than the 40 seats that Likud, the largest party, holds in the 120-member parliament. May the Likud wars begin!

I am back

1000 visitors, only 8 comments. You guys sure missed me. Well, me is back! May za blogging commence!

No blogging today

Dear Readers, I am sorry to inform you that there will be no blogging today, since I will be having a super busy day. You see, I do have one of those, ehh, whatchamacallit, ohh yeah, job thingies it seems and it requires my full attention today. Let me tell you though, when it comes to this whole Job deal, I am like obsessed. I go 5 times a week, sometimes six, and even on mondays ( imagine that), and I spend the whole day there from the early morning to the afternoon. And I did that throughout the summer too. I don't know what's wrong with me, I better go get my head checked or something, cause like, this whole thing is weird. I do have a feeling, however, that this isn't an isolated incident, but a part of a more bigger and stranger phenomenon. What makes me say that? Well, I see people waking up with me, dressed the same way I am and also going to all of those offices and corporate buildings around the same time that I do. Someone needs to investigate this, cause something is fishy here. Anyway... The point is, dear readers, that I won't be around today to give you tidbits on this whacked out world we live in. I know, I know, some of you are like "Well what am I supposed to do now, mr. Sandmonkey?", and for those of you, I urge you all not to fret, for I am not really going to be leaving you here all alone to fend for yourselves. No, no, I wouldn't do that to you. The way I see it, You have three options: 1) The "Open thread" option: You can start an open thread in this post; you know, start a discussion in the comments section. I see it on other blogs all the time and the people doing it seem to have a hoot. In case you don't have a topic in mind and are all verklempt about it, let me give you a good old one: The Civil War: It wasn't civil and it wasn't a war. Discuss. 2) The "Read Ritzy" option: You can go and read the excellent blog of my female compatriot Ritzy; She is as prolific as i am, almost as funny and she will have all kinds of stories for you. And If you don't like her blog- and I have no idea why you wouldn't- you can always check any of the other options on my Blogroll. They are all most excellent. 3) The "Donate to me" option: So you think the world is a horrible place and you want to make a difference, but you don't know how. Well, my friend, you came to the right place for advice. You see that button that says "Make a Donation" on the right hand side of the screen? Well, click on it and donate some money to the "Sandmonkey escape fund". It's a charity that aims to save my ass and get me out of dodge in case the feared crackdown on all Mubarak dissenters after the September 9th elections does happen. Every dollar counts by the way: I am not even close to 15% of the required amount, there hasn't been a single donation all of August and there is like 10 days left. So it's not like i am panicking or anything, oh wait, I am: THIS BUTTON IS NOT FOR SHOW PEOPLE, CLICK ON IT AND DONATE DAMN IT! So as you can see, you have plenty of fun options ahead of you for your day without me. And don't worry, I won't be gone long: I will be back tommorow to fill your lives with joy or utter despair. It's all in the eyes of the beholder me always says, and me is usually right about those things. Have a lovely day, and please remember: No stranger is allowed to touch you in your bathing suit area. See y'all tommorow, The Sandmonkey

NOLA spared, others not so lucky

So Katrina spares New Orleans from its nightmare scenario, but a lot of damage happend there anyway and other states haven't been as lucky: Jim Pollard, spokesman for the Harrison County emergency operations center, said 50 people were killed by Katrina in his county, with the bulk of the deaths at an apartment complex in Biloxi. Three other people were killed by falling trees in Mississippi and two died in a traffic accident in Alabama, authorities said. [...] But it was plenty bad, in New Orleans and elsewhere along the coast, where scores people had to be rescued from rooftops and attics as the floodwaters rose around them. An untold number of other people were feared dead in flooded neighborhoods, many of which could not be reached by rescuers because of high water. Let's hope that wasn't the case. Dave, Ramy, Beth, and every other reader I have from that region that was affected, I hope y'all are ok! E-mail me if you get the chance.

The Eye of the Strom

This is Katrina.

This is what Katrina is like:

Monstrous Hurricane Katrina barreled toward the Big Easy on Sunday with 165-mph wind and a threat of a 28-foot storm surge, forcing a mandatory evacuation, a last-ditch Superdome shelter and prayers for those left to face the doomsday scenario this below-sea-level city has long dreaded. Showers began falling on southeastern Louisiana and other parts of the Gulf Coast on Sunday afternoon, accompanied by pounding surf as far east as the Florida Panhandle, the first hints of a storm with a potential surge of 18 to 28 feet, even bigger waves and as much as 15 inches of rain. "We are facing a storm that most of us have long feared," Mayor C. Ray Nagin said in ordering the mandatory evacuation for his city of 485,000 people, surrounded by suburbs of a million more. "The storm surge will most likely topple our levee system."

Needless to say, the situation is bad. Conceding that as many as 100,000 inner-city residents didn't have the means to leave and an untold number of tourists were stranded by the closing of the airport, the city arranged buses to take people to 10 last-resort shelters, including the Superdome.

This what Katrina will do:

The storm surge — water pushed into a mound by hurricane winds — would pour over the Pontchartrain levee and flood the city. A severe hurricane could push floodwaters inside the New Orleans bowl as high as 20-30 feet, covering most homes and the first three or four stories of buildings in the city, he says. "This brings a great risk of casualties." In this type of scenario the metro area could be submerged for more than 10 weeks, says Walter S. Maestri, Director of Emergency Management for Jefferson Parish, which encompasses more than half of the city. In those 10 weeks, residents would need drinking water, food and a dry place to live. Besides the major problems flooding would bring, there is also concern about a potentially explosive and deadly problem. Suhayda says flooding of the whole city could easily mix industrial and household chemicals into a toxic and volatile mix. Coupled with an estimated 100,000 tons of sediment, a cleanup could take several months. In the worst case scenario, the mix of toxic chemicals could make some areas of the city uninhabitable. "It could take several years for the city to recover fully, economically, from a strong hurricane," says Suhayda.

What's the worst case scanerio?

Well, with the chemicals? Bad..

Estimates have been made of tens of thousands of deaths from flooding that could overrun the levees and turn New Orleans into a 30-foot-deep toxic lake filled with chemicals and petroleum from refineries, and waste from ruined septic systems.

Without the chemicals, it's still bad!

A stronger storm on a slightly different course -- such as the path Georges was on just 16 hours before landfall -- could have realized emergency officials' worst-case scenario: hundreds of billions of gallons of lake water pouring over the levees into an area averaging 5 feet below sea level with no natural means of drainage. That would turn the city and the east bank of Jefferson Parish into a lake as much as 30 feet deep, fouled with chemicals and waste from ruined septic systems, businesses and homes. Such a flood could trap hundreds of thousands of people in buildings and in vehicles. At the same time, high winds and tornadoes would tear at everything left standing. Between 25,000 and 100,000 people would die, said John Clizbe, national vice president for disaster services with the American Red Cross. "A catastrophic hurricane represents 10 or 15 atomic bombs in terms of the energy it releases," said Joseph Suhayda, a Louisiana State University engineer who is studying ways to limit hurricane damage in the New Orleans area. "Think about it. New York lost two big buildings. Multiply that by 10 or 20 or 30 in the area impacted and the people lost, and we know what could happen."

Let's hope it doesn't come to that! My Prayers are with all of the New Orleans people. Dave, buddy, I hope you will be safe.

Sheehan, Sharpton & Sheen Shannanigans

Man, this protest is really becoming a goddamn circus: Enter Al Sharpton. On Sunday, Sharpton joined Sheehan in laying roses at crosses near "Camp Casey." "I feel that it is our moral obligation to stand and to be courageous with these families, and particularly Cindy, that have become the conscience of this nation," said Sharpton, an activist and former Democratic presidential candidate. Al Sharpton talking about conscience. Me laughs. Me laughs hard. And then enter, The American President on West Wing ladies and gentlemen, Martin Sheen: Actor Martin Sheen, who portrays the Democratic president on NBC's "The West Wing," also met with Sheehan and spoke to a crowd of more than 300. "At least you've got the acting president of the United States," the actor said. "I think you know what I do for a living, but this is what I do to stay alive." Oh baby. And would it truly be a circus without a wedding at the memorial for dead soldiers? Amid all the comings and goings around Camp Casey on Sunday, peace activists Genevieve Van Cleve and Peter Ravella got married. The aisle was strewn with hay, and the crowd hummed "Here Comes the Bride." "This is meaningful. This has substance," said Van Cleve, 34, of Austin. "We completely support what they're doing, and we just wanted to add whatever love, fidelity, loyalty and honor that we could." And Vodka, don't forget to add Vodka. It's not complete without Vodka. Or at least that's what I need after reading this. Are those people high? They are having a wedding amidst what's supposed to be a memorial for dead soldiers? WTF? What's next? A Rock Concert? A Hemp Festival? A free-Love open air orgy? It would add love to the whole thing, without the restrictive fidelty part. And to think that this woman is idolized. Arghhh...... I need a drink!

The big Fucking mess

The residents of an Austrian village are mad at the british tourists for insisting on stealing the town's signs. What makes the signs so special? Well, the name of the village, it's, ehh, it's called Fucking! And the villagers don't seem to understand what the big deal is and they are mad as hell: "We will not stand for the F---ing signs being removed," the officer told the broadsheet. "It may be very amusing for you British, but F---ing is simply F---ing to us. What is this big F---ing joke? It is puerile." Local guide Andreas Behmueller said it was only the British that had a fixation with F---ing. "The Germans all want to see the Mozart house in Salzburg," he explained. "Every American seems to care only about 'The Sound of Music' (the 1965 film shot around Salzburg). The occasional Japanese wants to see Hitler's birthplace in Braunau. "But for the British, it's all about F---ing." Not just the british Herr Andreas. Not just the british!

The Sinai face-off continues

In this riveting developing story, The 4000 pansies that call themselves the egyptian police force, who have been incapable of bringing down 15 militants hiding in a mountain, are finally getting some help from the Army. Chances are the Police are scared because they are not used to the Officers dying: it's usually the low-payed (10 dollars a month) police soldiers (yes, we have those, our Police follows the millitary structure, how do you think we have police generals? Ohh, yours doesn't? oh..) who usually get killed trying to bring in the terrorists, while the lazy fat police officers sit in the air-conditioned cars. Now that some of them are dead and injured, they are shocked, shocked, that they might have to do something themselves, and since they are unaccustomed to this, they are retreating and asking for the army's help. On the bright side, the local government newspapers are feeding the people's Israel conspiracy theories by informing them that the I.E.D's explosives weren't actually mines (Ha, I told you so Raf. Ohhhh yeahhh! In your face!) but were actually from an "imported explosive material", the same one used for the Sharm and Taba bombings mind you, which would transalte in the minds of the average egyptian to the preferred conclusion= Israel. Somehow they will rationalize that it's all the Jews' fault and that the Moussad is behind it all. As one of my readers told me "How the Moussad does all of this and still has time to kick puppies, I have no idea. I tell you, us jews never sleep". But let's face it, since Israel is the hanger on which we hang all of our failures, why not this one as well? Right? This world is stupid!

Sharm is getting back to normal

This story by AP shows that despite the terrorist attacks, things are getting back to normal in Sharm El Sheikh. The tourists are coming back, and occupancy is up to 86%. I guess the "Come visit the place where more then 80 people died despite heavy secuirty. It's 15% cheaper now!" campaign was a resounding success. And they call tourists stupid. Ha! All kidding aside, go visit Sharm people. It's pretty nice and it's very unlikely to get hit again. It's like the Lightning thing, it may kill you when it hits you, but it's very unlikely to hit you and kill you again, or something.However, if you prefer something simpler and safer without any big targets for the terroriststo blow up, there is always Dahab, for all of you scuba-diving, yoga practicing, hash-smoking party animals. Egypt is cool man. Come down and visit. If you don't, then the "Terrorists have won". You don't want that now, do you? ;)

Jesse Jackson supports Chavez

Al Sharpton declared his support to Mother Sheehan and went to join her crawford Protests with marxists and neo-nazis. Not to be outdone, Jesse Jackson went to Venezeula to declare support for the Marxist-lite Chavez regime, deliverd a speech at their national assembley and told reporters at a news conference that the US "must choose a civilized policy of rational conversation". Jesse was apparently sleeping that week!

"You mean getting rid of the jews didn't solve our problems?"

According to this Al Jazeera story, the palestinians, after celebrating heartily because the Jews are out of Gaza, are suddenly preplexed that they still have problems, even though the Jews are gone. No, really. However content they were to watch Jewish settlers evicted from their homes kicking and screaming, they see little material substance behind the glossy TV footage and accuse their leaders of deluding them still further. Unemployment stands at more than 40% in Gaza and 65% of its residents live below the poverty line, says the head of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, Raji Surani. "Even our leaders are contributing to this state of mind. If you listen to them, you'd think the Gaza Strip is going to become Hong Kong or Singapore," he said. Which I am guessing they believe won't be the case. So, what kind of stuff makes them so unhappy or doubtfull of the future? Well.... With no guaranteed freedom of movement after Israeli troops leave Gaza, and Palestinians not knowing how they can import and export goods, most believe more than ever that they are headed for life in a giant prison. "Can we come and go from Gaza? How can we get to the West Bank? What will happen to the Palestinian workers who work in Israel? These are the only questions people are asking today," said Farhat. Ohh, so the occupation made all of those things easier huh? And why do you want to work in Israel?I thought you no longer wanted anything to do with it. Whatever happend to Death to Israel? Ohh, I guess they are not soo bad when you want a job huh? But at least you got your land back. That counts for something, right? "This withdrawal is a trap," says Suha Jibril, an English literature undergraduate who calls the operation "theatrical". "We don't know what's happening behind the scenes, but even a five-year-old understands we won't be freer than we are today." [...] Questions of restoring the Gazaairport are still in limbo "From a human rights point of view, there is nothing positive about the withdrawal. Gaza will de facto and de jure be cut off from the West Bank and the rest of the world," said Surani. "We are still in prison, the Israelis have just added various sectors of land. Apart from that, we have nothing to be happy about," he said. I am sorry, were you saying something? I couldn't hear you from all the whining. Jeez, you guys are positive. Hey, at least there is hope in the children. "I also want to rebuild my school which was damaged by an Israeli rocket and the stadium so my friends can play football," said Hisham who lives in the al-Maghazi refugee camp which lies close to the recently-evacuated Jewish settlement of Kfar Darom. "We spend most of our time demonstrating. When there is an Israeli raid and when the martyrs fall, we demonstrate. And when the army carries out a raid, we go into the street," he said, explaining his life in a place which has seen countless clashes between resistance fighters and the Israeli army over the last five years. But Asra al-Hush, 13, hates the fact that children have spent so much of their lives protesting in the streets. "We have had enough of demonstrations. We mustn't waste time, we must stay at school," she said pointedly. Her dream is to become a lawyer. "I want to defend children and their right to play, to participate in debates and to express their opinions." Now we are talking. Look people, nobody said it was going to be easy, but this is what you wanted. You want the Israelis out, and now they are gone; so now you can't start complaining about how you lost your job working for the jews. You didn't want the jews living at all, remember? Good, now that you got your wish, it's time to move on with your life. Plus, why the doom and gloom? Who says it all has to be bad? You are free now. It's up to you to change your future. Let me quote Karim here for a second: "Gaza isn't held hostage. Gaza is free. Gaza is bigger than Dubai and look what they've accomplished. They too are surrounded (by desert) and less than 5% of their GDP comes from available resources. The Palestinian Diaspora has also created in many ways a reflection of post WWII Jews. A group of people, bound by a common belief, dispersed into every corner of the world, primarily first world countries. These people have been exposed to and nurtured by the best elements of modernization. Economics, Democracy, Professionalism…ect. If even elements of stability can be pronounced after the withdrawal, the Palestinians will get there own "Aliyah" (a Jewish concept of return to their homeland) comprised of some of the worlds best doctors, authors, thinkers, scholars, and scientists. Combined with the guaranteed flooding of foreign aid, the Palestinians could create a truly magnificent place in Gaza." I couldn't have said it better myself. Now, let me quote one other blogger whom I admire very much as my way to end this post: "Unfortunately, too many people either argue that more violence with somehow help, or continue to analyze Sharon's motives with the West Bank. Instead of the endless pessimism and blame, we need to be thinking about how to use this opportunity, and turn lemons into lemonade. If more people had faith in the future instead of faith in ancient texts and invisible figures, we'd have more hope about this whole story." Word. This is your future people, get on with it.

Linky Love

Check out Ritzy's post on how Japan'sTV teaches kids on the Arab-Israeli conflict. Cool toys btw. I can't wait for Pokemon style marketing blitz with cards and everything: "I have the card of David, with his Uzzi and his Grav Mada" "Well, My card beats yours: I have the card of Ahmed the suicide bomber, and he got a wired bomb to his chest. No one can beat Ahmed except for the "Cohen the Sniper" card. Give in Jew, give in now!". Their slogan will be "Choose Your Side". Am I the only one who sees the Anti-semetic potential here? I am sure David Duke would endorse it! In other news that involve the transcendent Mother Sheehan - I know, I am obsessed-check out Beth's post regarding how compassionate Cindy is exactly. Mubarak the supreme Pan-arabist leader? Or does it has a very interesting poster up. Check out Egyptian Person's collection of Stories of the Egyptian elections, with one of the candidates promising to give the Presidency to Mubarak back if he wins and the Azhar Sheikh's who say that it is the islamic duties of muslims to vote, unless they are liberal muslim who don't follow islamic rules, who, in his opinion, should be banned from voting. One word still describes it all best: Circus. Ohh yeah, and here are the latest people to join Cindy Sheehan's protest in Texas: Al Sharpton and the Neo-Nazi Stormfront. So, let's recount: so far we have marxists, communists, neo-nazis and Al Sharpton supporting her. This should be great! All that we are missing are some Al Qaeda people and you would have yourself a "Hate-America" fest. No?

Who funds Cindy Sheehan?

I was mentioning how the financial backers of Cindy are getting their money's worth, but I didn't know who they were. I suspected they were lefty organizations still bitter about Bush's win last November with a majority, and I was right. The camp at Crawford is full of Cindy Sheehan supporters, people from all walks of life, but off to the side are a small group of professionals skilled in politics and public relations who are marketing Cindy Sheehan's message. Cindy Sheehan kneels before a cross with her son's name on it, touches his picture, wipes her tears. It's an outpouring of emotion that is part of a scheduled news event organized daily for the television, radio and print reporters who crowd in to capture a mother's grief. A scheduled outpouring of emotion. Say that a couple of times in your heads and tell me how geniuine it sounds. Organizers are set up in a house trailer. Their meetings closed to reporters. Leading the group is Fenton Communications employee, Michele Mulkey, based in San Francisco. Fenton specializes in public relations for liberal non-profits. Their bills are being paid for by True Majority, a non-profit set up by Ben Cohen -- of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream fame. Ben Cohen, True Majority: "People are willing to listen to her and we want to do as much as we can to make her voice heard." Cohen's group has teamed up with Berkeley based MoveOn.org, an anti-Bush group co-founded by Joan Blades. [...] Current Democratic National Party Chair Howard Dean's organization Democracy for America is also involved, as is the more radical anti-war group Code Pink organized by San Francisco's Medea Benjamin. Money donated through these groups and others is helping to pay for Gold Star families whose children have been killed in Iraq to attend anti-Bush protests. Code Pink, in case you don't know, was founded by a group of Marxists and Castro supporters and have ties to the communist Workers World Party, which lionizes Joseph Stalin, Slobodan Milocevic, and Kim Jong Il. Lovely People. Hmm, I can almost hear you screaming "But this is a geniuine effort, it's from the heart. Even ask the participating families". Oh really? Ok! There is real reluctance to talk about who's paying, and the P.R. machine that's promoting Cindy Sheehan, but not everyone here is completely comfortable with it. Gold Star mother Karen Meredith came here from Mountain View. Her son Ken Ballard died last year. Karen Meredith, Gold Star mother: "Sometimes things don't feel quite right to me. They don't feel wrong, but maybe that's how they do it in the marketing business." ABC7's Mark Matthews: "You feel you're part of a marketing business?" Karen Meredith: "Possibly. Yeah I think so." Gee, I wonder what would give her that crazy Idea!

Being mentioned in Al Ahram Weekly & other things

Dr. R. pointed out to me in this comment that My Blog is mentioned in the State-owned Al Ahram weekly. After checking it out, I found out that they did not only mention me, they mentioned Big Pharaoh and Baheyya as well: The same Trio mentioned in the Christian Science Monitor article. This I consider to be funny, because, like I mentioned before, Baheyya isn't the Biggest fan of me or Big Pharaoh. I am guessing we are becoming increasingly like the Egyptian Blogsphere's political equivelant of the "Axis of Evil". I am betting the Egyptian goverment will probably have as much love for us as the USA has for the original Axis. I just hope I don't end up being Iraq. Just one thing about the mention that pissed me off: Why does everyone insist on mentioning that i am a "Young blogger"? I mean, I am not mad because it's a misrepresentation or anything, because let's face it, I am young. But for that to be the only thing that I am associated with seems kind of condescending so to speak, You know? I don't know, I guess the tone just irks me is all. On a different note, I find myself agreeing with R. that the arabic writing bloggers in Egypt are not getting the attention they deserve (R.'s Beyoned Normal and Mohammed's Digressing blogs are amazing) from the media, but I kind of understand it as well. The international media would have a problem with it because the writer would have to be fluent in reading arabic and able to understand the expressions used, and such a writer would probably be rare to find. On the other hand, the local media, since it's mostly state-controlled, would probably not want to attract the attention of the average egyptian population to the existance of blogs, because that would make them a far more effective venue for information and organization. Not to mention, those blogs- like me- are often critical of the local media and the kinds of public "Ass-kissing" that they adminster to the President on Daily basis. But it's not like they were never mentioned: The independent weekly newspaper El Dostoor, when it first came out, used to dedicate a page to Blog posts from various arabic-writing egyptian bloggers; altough they stopped doing that now for some reason. Why none of the other independent media venues and newspapers didn't see the potential and the quality of writing of arabic-written egyptian blogs is just beyond me. Oh well R., I don't know what to say. At least you know i am a fan. ;)

Bush solves the Iraqi constitution problem

and writes one of his own.

A disturbing hoax

This is very wrong!

Take your pick

Mother Sheehan when told there is a Photo-Up to emphasize her righteous grief.

Cindy Sheehan when not at a Photo-Op to emphasize her grief.

So this is how grief looks like when not in front of TV cameras. Hmm....

At least you can't say she is not earning the money that her "backers" are paying her otherwise fired unemployed ass: She is taking on Congress next.

Update: Check out this Rant by Razorsedge, an Army National Guard servicemen from Tennessee currently deployed in Iraq, regarding what he thinks of what Cindy is doing. Makes you realy wish to see what would happen to that Cindy Bus tour if she ever goes to Southern States.

Jihad, free speech and lesbians

Ok, I found this story to be very interesting: When part-time college student Jihad Daniel received a campuswide e-mail invitation to see a movie about lesbians, he balked. I love his name. But that's just the begining of this crazy story. "These are perversions," he replied to the e-mail's sender, asking that he no longer be sent information about "Connie and Sally" or "Adam and Steve." LOL. The next thing he knew, the 68-year-old student at William Paterson University in Wayne, N.J., was accused of violating the state school's anti-discrimination policy. Uh-oh. A letter of reprimand followed in June, describing his brief comments to the sender — the head of the women's studies program — as "derogatory or demeaning." He took his case to a Philadelphia organization that has become the go-to group for college students and professors of all stripes who believe their rights to free speech have been violated. Now, this is where it gets interesting. You would think that the "Free speech" group would take the official liberal stand and not help Jihad, since, you know, the people who are after him are gays and lesbians and he called homosexual movies "perversions". But no, you would be mistaken. They championed his case. Apparently that specific civil rights group had no other agenda, but the protection of free speech- not just speech they approve of. Cough ACLU cough. Since 1999, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education has battled pro bono for evangelicals and atheists, animal rights activists and campus conservatives, and others who say they have been silenced by school administrations because of their points of view. The group filed a complaint with the university saying Daniel's rights to free speech and due process had been violated. The New Jersey attorney general sided with the school, but the foundation said it will fight to have the reprimand lifted. With 11 employees in Philadelphia and a network of dozens of volunteer attorneys nationwide, the foundation has grown from an organization that publicized student complaints to a resource for college communities. Foundation president David French said the group's goal is to "transform the culture of education into one that respects free speech for everybody." Go David & Jihad!

I don't know how I missed this..

...But go and check out Ritzy's post on chants, offers of organ donations, pledges of support written in the blood of local supporters and other props used in the Egyptian Presidential elections theatre of politics. The whole thing is rather..lovely!

Muslim leaders in Italy, Tolerance and Terrorism

This article can be read as both a sign of good news or a harbinger of a soon imploding situation. Take your pick!

Egyptian Police withdraws in Sinai

Ladies and gentlemen, when I read news pieces like this, I wish the ban on the Sharm bombings extended to bloggers as well, because the news on the Sinai front, is, well, sad. Egyptian police have withdrawn from a Sinai mountain range where a land mine killed two senior officers during a search for Islamic militants believed involved in a series of resort bombings, security officials said Friday. Hope they don't blame it on the peace treaty with Israel, again. Officials said the pullback of police forces about 30 miles from Halal Mountain in northeast Sinai was temporary and was to reassess the situation and clear any more land mines. "The sweep and siege (of militants) are still on. There is no retreat," said an Interior Ministry official, referring to the weeklong search being carried out by about 4,000 police backed by armored vehicles in northern Sinai. 4000 policemen backed up with armored vehicles against maybe maximum 20 armed men and you are withdrawing? WTF? "The regrouping is part of tactics that I won't reveal," he said. "To tell you the truth I haven't a clue on what to do in this situation, so i am just wasting time and hoping for a goddamn miracle or something." He continued. Did I mention how happy and safe I am knowing that they are the ones handeling my security? What a bunch of dunces.

No Big Deal

Big Pharaoh got way too excited over a criticism of Mubarak's regime on the Egyptian-run state television, but he wonders if it's all just decor for the elections. I have to say that it is, because the criticism was levelled against the Finance Minister and not against the president. Plus, what's one criticism against the all the praise he gets on those channels anyway? The article that mentions the incident mentions a couple of other things that I find interesting: For example, it mentions the super efforts done by Mr. Momtaz El Qut, whom I gave examples of his superior ass-kissing skills over here. The article, however, mentions direct quotes from an editorial the man wrote himself, which...ehh.. how about your just read it and judge for yourselves? "You and me eat whatever we want, but the president doesn't," al-Qut wrote. "He might be the only Egyptian who never ate stuffed cabbage, eggplant or green pepper. He might be the only Egyptian who didn't smell the cooking of molokhiya" — a traditional Egyptian dish. Oh baby. My heart is broken. He can't smell molokhiya, he can't eat stuffed cabbage. Poor Hosny! This whole thing is a goddamn circus!

Catholic troubles in Argentina

Yet another scandal broke out for the catholic church, this time in Argentina and there is a videotape involved: The scandal broke over the weekend with newspaper reports that the Vatican had received a copy of a videotape showing Juan Carlos Maccarone, 64, the bishop of the poor northern province of Santiago del Estero, having "intimate relations" with a 23-year-old chauffeur. While the Bishop resigned from his post, the catholic church is crying conspiracy: Now Maccarone and other church officials say the bishop was set up. They suspect Maccarone was targeted for his work on behalf of the poor and his opposition to the clan of a former governor who ran the province much like a private fiefdom for nearly 50 years. "Everything points to . . . political revenge," said Rev. Guillermo Marco, a spokesman for the Buenos Aires archbishop. Homosexual sex, lies and a videotape. Oh Lord.

"Good night and Dad bless America"

The Transcript of Jesus' priceless remarks at a Republican Party Fundraiser are here. But seriously, folks (LAUGHTER)—no, seriously, that day did pass, and then two more. Then I rose from the dead. (CHEERS, APPLAUSE) Thank you. I rose from the dead and I flew up to Heaven. But first, you'll remember, I made a little side trip to Hell (SCATTERED BOOS) just to get a look at how they do things. And I'm here to tell you, Hell is just like Heaven (AUDIBLE GASPS)—but with taxes. (LAUGHTER, CHEERS, APPLAUSE) I'd especially like to thank President Bush, who gave me a free Pioneer membership. (AUDIBLE GASPS, MUTTERING) Was I not supposed to say that? Sorry. My point is, the president's a good man. The only real difference between Me and him is his daddy found a way to forgive Bill Clinton. (WILD APPLAUSE) Genius. Read the whole thing.

A Hillary Trainwreck?

Mickey Kaus is reporting that, while the Iraq war going bad is good news for the democrats, it's not good news for Hillary or her Presidential campaign, since , you know, she voted for it. The same press drumbeat of defeatism about Iraq that has helped bring down Bush's numbers has also emboldened the party's mainstream left base (i.e., not just MoveOn or the DailyKos crowd). They hardly care whether Hillary is a member of the DLC. But they do not want to support someone who voted for the war, as Hillary did. Worse, they want a Democrat who is willing to break from the respectable Beltway Tough-It-Out Consensus now, publicly, in a way Hillary has been unable to do. So I guess there will be a potential upside for the republicans even if the Iraq situation gets worse. Heh.

Eric Clapton is my Hero

Finally someone said it: Celebrities should not tell politicians what to do, even Bono. And mind you, it's not just anyone who said it: It's Eric freakin Clapton too. Eric Clapton, 60, has criticised politically inspired concerts such as Live 8 and said he had "mixed feelings" towards the initiators Bono and Bob Geldof, according to a German magazine. "I ask myself if musicians ought to act like politicians," said the guitarist, as quoted in the interview in the weekly Stern. "They're only musicians," he said, questioning where they gained the authority to give speeches. He said that Bono was spending a large amount of his time telling world politicians they were wrong. Clapton was quoted saying he had not liked Geldof telling the prime minister of Canada to stay away from a concert because he had not been following policies Geldof favoured. Mr. Clapton, thank you for saying it. I would like to inform you that all is forgiven now and I am a fan again. The abomination that was the Pilgrim album is forgotten by me. Like it never happend!

Something for your dirty mind

South African men were complaining that current condom sizes were too small for their larger then average male bits, so they started demanding special made condoms to accomodate their sepcial endowdment and durex made one for them. However, a special poll conducted believs that SA men are not bigger, but rather have bigger mouths is all. This study of Average Penis size per country kind of proves that and it also proves that Koreans are actually less hung then most, with the average Korean sporting less then 10 cm's of "manmeat" while erect, which would explain Kim Jung Il's obsession with creating Big Nuclear phallic shaped Missiles. The dude is compensating with developing Weapons of Mass Destruction for not having a Weapons of Ass Destruction. Poor Lil Kim!

Respek

I miss Ali G. I used to download his videos even before HBO nabed him, and then I used to pay for HBO just so I can watch him and Bill Maher's show. Ever since I came back I haven't seen a single new Ali G episode, and reading about what he did at Pamela Anderson's dog wedding just reminded me of how much me misses him. I mean, this is the man who interviewed Pat Buchanan and asked him if the US would've invaded Iraq if they didn't have "BLT's" and got the famous femenist writer Naomi Wolf to rap "Yo, yo, don't be sexist, I'll let you ride in my Lexus". How could you not love that? Respek Ali G, Respek!

Egyptians In Iraq: 2-3 million

Ritzy is reporting that there are 2-3 million egyptians living in Iraq right now, the majority of which did not report to the embassey since the occupation. She is wondering the same thing that I am: how many of those have joined the "insurgency" or are training there to inflict their own kind of "insurgency" against the Infidel-US-agent current Egyptian government? I am personally wondering how many came back home already, cause the local terrorists sure seem to be using Iraqi techniques.

Reporting on the Sharm Bombings banned

Another sign that our Security apparatus is handeld by increasingly inept individuals : The government just banned any local newspaper from reporting or publishing anything on the Sharm El Sheikh Bombings and its aftermaths from this day forward. Why? Cause they are idiots and they don't want anyone in Egypt to know anymore. Outside of Egypt, on the other hand, is a totally different matter. Egypt has imposed a media blackout on the probe into the July 23 bombings in Sharm el-Sheikh after weeks of confusion and contradictory information on the country's deadliest attack by militants. [...] "But from now on, we cannot publish anything. The rest of the world will be able to talk about this issue except for the people who are the most affected by it," he said. What's the excuse for the ban? Attorney General Maher Abdelwahed issued a decree on Wednesday banning coverage of the investigation into the Sharm bombings "in order to protect the work of the judiciary", a source in his office said. The real reason is the confusing contradictory statements made from inside the security apparatus and the government, which are making them look even worse. Example: Even the death toll is not final more than a month after the bombings. Hospital officials on the scene gave a figure of 88, which the government later lowered to 67, including several foreigners.Foreign countries have announced the deaths of their nationals separately. Or another one: The Egyptian authorities quickly pointed an accusing finger at the Bedouin population, after initial suspicions had focused on a group of Pakistani nationals. In essence, it's about damage control to their really bad reputation. "There is no security reason to justify the media blackout. This ban is a political decision. It does not aim to protect the investigation but to control public opinion," he told AFP. Exactly. Now, since they made sure that the formal local media keeps quite, this means that the only people who can technically talk about it, is, well, the informal media a.k.a. Bloggers. Basically this decision lays on our shoulders the responsbility to inform the egyptian population of what's going on in Sinai, which also means that if we do report the kind of thing that the government doesn't want reported, they will come after us. No need for charges. due process or trials, thanks to the emergency law. Did I mention how glad I am to have ever started this blog? Make sure to send me mail when I am in prison, ok guys? Sigh...

Italian red cross aided insurgents

This is kind of..eh..... unsettling: Italy's Red Cross treated four Iraqi insurgents and hid them from U.S. forces in exchange for the freedom of two Italian aid workers kidnapped last year in Baghdad, an official said in an interview published Thursday. Maurizio Scelli, the outgoing chief of the Italian Red Cross, told La Stampa newspaper that he kept the deal secret from U.S. officials, complying with "a nonnegotiable condition" imposed by Iraqi mediators who helped him secure the release of Simona Pari and Simona Torretta, who were abducted on Sept. 7 and freed Sept. 28. How far did the Red Cross go? "The mediators asked us to save the lives of four alleged terrorists wanted by the Americans who were wounded in combat," Scelli was quoted as saying. "We hid them and brought them to Red Cross doctors, who operated on them." They took the wounded insurgents to a Baghdad hospital in a jeep and in an ambulance, smuggling them through two U.S. checkpoints by hiding them under blankets and boxes of medicine, Scelli reportedly said. Ok, color me confused, and I am just wondering here, but is this , ehh, legal? Isn't Italy fighting this War with the US? Isn't what they did , technically, aiding an enemy and helping them escape? Isn't this, technically also, I don't know, TREASON? Just wondering is all.

Happy bunny and Unhappy parents

This is another sign that the US is becoming a hyper-sensitive nation: Parents are concerned with the message Happy Bunny T shirts are giving. Back to school means new clothes for many students and this year Happy Bunny shirts are a hot item. The shirts show cartoon bunnies, but CBS 2’s Dana Kozlov reports some parents and teachers aren't keen on the shirts rude sayings.It may be cute, but don't let the bunny fool ya’. This furry friend is now gracing T-shirts with not-so-friendly messages on them. Oh no, the messages are not friendly? Nooooooooooooo. Ok, Happy Bunny, in case you are not familiar with it, is a brand designed by Jim Benton aimed mostly to young audiences, depiciting a cute Bunny that says funny ( ok, and slightly rude) things. Some of my favorites are : "Hi Loser", "You suck and that's sad", "cute but psycho" and my favorite- and AIM icon- "Hating you makes me feel all warm inside". It's "playful anti-social" so to speak and it's funny. The brand is on everything from T-shirts to shot-glasses, and they were big like a year ago. The fact that they are still a fad is a little surprising to me. Anyway, back to the report. So can you tell us what is so bad about those T-shirts? Teenagers tend to downplay the perceived mean side. But some parents, teachers and DePaul University psychologist Dr. Joseph Ferrari are not."It's pairing some insulting comment with something that's pleasant, warm and fuzzy, and that's a problem because it's desensitizing people, kids, to the aversiveness of what some of these shirts say," Ferrari said. Uh-huh. and? "There's a breakdown of perhaps responsibility that's occurring in our society. We are not respecting each other as individuals as much as we used to anymore," Ferrari said. Oh, you just noticed? Now, do we blame the parenting? Do we blame the schooling? Do we blame a society that makes a celebrity out of people like Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie? No. Blame the Bunny!

Names and Information

Here is some more information regarding the Sinai I.E.D. attacks. Names and ranks of the 2 police officers? Maj. Gen. Mahmoud Adel and Lt. Col. Omar Abdel Moneim. Where and how did it happen? Thursday's blasts by two land mines occurred on 5,900-foot Halal mountain, some 37 miles south of the Mediterranean coastal town of el-Arish, the Interior Ministry said. Are we admitting they are I.E.D.'s? Yeah, sort of! It did not say if the mines had been planted by suspected militants or left over from previous Arab-Israeli wars. But at least two security officials said initial investigations indicated that fugitives hiding on the mountain had concealed the mines. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information. Anything else? After the explosions, security forces found three pickup trucks loaded with drugs and weapons in the area and arrested five people. Officials are still trying to determine the identities of the five. The killings were the first of Egyptian security officers in Sinai since a driver shot a policeman to death in May. In February, another police officer was killed during clashes with suspected militants connected to the Taba and Ras Shitan bombings. Police have been scouring northern Sinai's deserts and jagged mountains and storming suspected militant strongholds for those behind the July 23 Sharm el-Sheik bombings that killed at least 64 people and the October attacks. At least 650 people have been detained since Sunday. Oh baby!

Yet another I.E.D. blast in Sinai: 2 Egyptian Officers dead

Yes, Another Blast today. I HATE BEING RIGHT! Two Egyptian policemen have been killed and two others injured in two blasts in northern Sinai, officials said. The interior ministry said police were operating in Jabal Halal when the booby-trapped devices exploded. It was the second such incident in the area in two days, and came as security forces searched for militants suspected in several recent bomb attacks. It's getting worse, people. It's getting worse!

Resist the blog

This is soooooooo me. I constantly tell myself: Ignore the blog. Do your work. You are an enormous literary figure and cultural icon, not a mere "blogger." You must produce high-end journalism with grand themes and huge groaning multi-syllabic words like "eschatological," and you can't be dribbling away all your ideas on the blog. Be strong! Resist the blog! And then . . . I hear it yowling. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh. I know exactly what he is talking about. The continual focus-grouping explains why most bloggers write as though their primary goal is to rise in the Google search results. The more you mention people like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, the more readers you will have, and the more links, and the more you will rise in Google's estimation. I have nothing really to say about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, and am not even remotely interested in Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, but I know that my blog will be read by more people if it mentions famous celebrities who might be secretly boinking, such as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. (Hiding in shame over my Lindsay Lohan posts; Blohan still gets me lots of traffic till this day) And let me just add, purely for the sake of Google: sex, alien abduction, Oprah, Tom Cruise, Lindsay Lohan, jumbo hooters the size of watermelons, Dick Cheney, Mark of the Beast, Armageddon, free money. Genius. Just Genius!

Metrosexuality must be stopped!

More "Men", it seems, are getting used to waxing their body hair. "They're somewhat scared and kind of shy because it's new to them," says Hector Peña, general manager of Manhattan's Nickel. They should be. They are turning themselves into women! The spa for men has seen a surge over the past two years in the number of clients willing to subject their skin to those strips of white muslin all in the name of confidence - on the beach and in bed. Ok, white women who read this blog: Please raise your hand if you think a man who waxes his body hair is sexy. I would like to see how many of you actually approve of this. Really, I mean it!

Will someone just kill him already?

Muqtada Al Sadr causes problems in Iraq yet again. Can the US just assassinate his ass please? The man had it coming for years now and i am sure he is not going to be sorely missed by anyone other his crazy followers, who will resume being smelly stupid unemployed men the moment he is gone. I just don't get it. Innocent people die there every day, why not him? It's just not fair!

Another terrorist I.E.D. attack in Sinai

Yesterday in Sinai an explosion destroyed an aromerd vehicle and injured at least 3 police officers during a search for more suspects for the blasts on Red Sea resorts during last year. Color me confused, but I thought they already arrested and /or killed all the people involved in those blasts. How many people were involved in this thing exactly? Whatever... "The explosion was strong and appears to have come from a land mine which blew up under the vehicle," said one security source, who asked not to be named. LOL. A mine? that same old lie again? Don't they ever make up anything new? I hate to say this: But I told you this would most likely happen again. The terrorists in Egypt are learning new tricks from their Iraqi compatriots. Chances are there are Al Qaeda elements there who are helping to incite the Bedouins, who most of them are furious at the government for its heavy handed techniques with them and the amounts of bedouin youths who got arrested all throughout last year ever since the Taba bombings. At first the clashes seemed to be centerd over not handing any more men over to the police until the fate of the others arrested became clear, but now it seems that the Bedouins have given up on playing defense and are on the offensive against the government. If indeed this change in tactics is due to Al Qaeda influences using the current state of extreme discontent between the Bedouins and the government to get the bedouins to help them execute terrorist attacks in Egypt, then the government is in big trouble. The Bedouins are experts at smuggeling, well, almost anything and know their way around the borders of Egypt. They could smuggle weapons, explosives, terrorists, anything they want smuggled through our borders and there is nothing the government can do about it. So far this situation has been contained in Sinai. Let's hope it stays this way, altough I highly doubt it. Something tells me this is just the begining and that things will get a whole lot worse before they get better.

Egyptian Sandmonkey in the Christian science Monitor

It was brought to my attention that my blog was mentioned in the Christian Science Monitor, which made me super excited because it meant that the story by Charles Levinson- from the arabist- was finally published. Eager to find any soundbites from my 1 hour interview with him, I read the article and found..well..nothing of it at all. Grrrrrrrr. Damn you Charles for raising my expectations. Damn you to hell! Ok. Allright. Ok, I am much calmer now. I've calmed down. I was just kidding by the way: there is no reason for me to get mad at him at all. I mean, after all, none of the other bloggers he interviewed made it on the article either, with the noteable exception of Alaa, who lets face it, is the most fearless amongst us. However, My blog was the first one mentiond of in the egyptian blogs list, so that's cool. What also drew me as interesting was that the 3 blogs mentioned were mine, Big Pharaoh's and Baheyya's. I am guessing that this probably didn't make Baheyya very happy, since I heard through the grapevine that she doesn't like me or Big Pharaoh all that much for some unknown reason, which sucks cause I like her blog. Oh well. Anyway... There was an interesting bonus to that article: we found out that that's where the spam comment involving Alaa on my blog came from. I am wondering if that's legal for the spammers to do. Come on CS Monitor. File a lawsuit for copyright infringment and lock those annoying bastards who spam our comments sections. I bet there is some money to make there for you, so get on it!

All hail President for Life Putin

Ensuring the utter and complete death of the russian democratic experience, Putin has the Kremlin working on amending the constitution, so he can run for a third consecutive term. This is not in any way good news, nor are his nostalgic tendencies for the days of the USSR. Is it just me, or does it seem like there is a prequisite of being a huge douchebag for someone to be a leader today?

Lions & Elephants roaming american cities?

Here is to probably the dumbest idea , ever!

Macgyver for President in 08?

Well, since Christopher Walken is out of the running for President business to my utter dismay-Just imagine the campaign slogan: "why run for president when you can be Walken?"- it is time for America to find another candidate capable of solving all of its problems and winning the War on Terror. In short, America needs a hero and a hero just might have answerd that call: Macgyver for President, ladies and getlemen. "A decision America won't regret." Not convinced? Macgyver understands the needs of the average American, tax breaks, free swiss army knifes for every child. A free Houseboat for every American! War on Terror? Macgyver will take care of this in under twenty four hours once elected, no blood shed, just common sense. His solution for Iraq? a roll of toliet paper, a piece of coal and a bit of string. That's all he will need for a democratic and free Middle East, Osama Bin Laden? Delivered to Washington smarting from one line quips and red-faced from a beating by a man armed with no more than a piece of chalk and an onion. This all within a week of entering the White House... Hell yeah, people. Go Macgyver!

God: A career Retrospective

This will more likely than not offend some people, while making the other half going :"This might explain a few things". You make up your mind about it, and try not to take it too seriously either way. I know i am not!

Oh Robertson

Pat Robertson is way too funny. He actually called for the assassination of Venezuella's president Chavez on his TV show: "I think we really ought to go ahead and do it. It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war," Robertson said during Monday evening's broadcast of "The 700 Club," his Christian news-talk television show. "We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability." Hmm, yeah. That didn't go well! "Our department doesn't do that kind of thing. It's against the law," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack called Robertson's comments "inappropriate" and out of step with U.S. policy. Not to mention it would be cost effective. OK, am i the only one who sometimes thinks that the Iraq war cost way too many billions? I mean if they wanted Saddam dead, all they had to do was put a price of 1 Billion on his head, and any one of us would've done it gladly then. Shit, for one Billion I would've killed Saddam and his whole family myself. And so would you. Don't even front like you wouldn't do it! Anyway, due to calls of outrage, Pat Robertson issued what could be refered to as an explanation, but it was kind of vague, probably because his foot was still stuck in his mouth. Conservative U.S. evangelist Pat Robertson, who called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, said on Wednesday he was misinterpreted and there were a number of ways to "take him out" including kidnapping. "I said our special forces could take him out. Take him out could be a number of things including kidnapping," Robertson said on his "The 700 Club" television program. "There are a number of ways of taking out a dictator from power besides killing him. I was misinterpreted," Robertson added. Riiight!

I almost didn't notice...

But I passed the 200,000 hit mark yesterday. That's 100,000 hits in 2 and half months. Damn I am popular. Again, I owe it all to you people, who take the time of the day to log on this website to read my rambelings. Thank you very much for giving me a bigger ego then the one I already had. Just kidding! I Love you all for it! You are the best!

Bret Easton Ellis has a new book out?

And he is playing himself in that new story? And its gruesome and nihilistic? How come no one told me about this? I want that book. I want it now damn it. When is it coming to Egypt? How long will it take to ship here? But I want it now. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr I declare whomever gets it for me to be my new Bestfriend Forever. I will ever get you a BFF chain and everything. Anything you want. Just get me that book!

Lip synching banned in Turkmenistan

The Turkmen President is a man of strong vision for his country and unwavering leadership; After tackeling the huge domestic issues of Opera and Ballet by banning them, the man is taking on his biggest challange yet: The scourge of lipsynching. He is banning it, from the whole country! Niyazov has ordered a ban on lip synching performances across the tightly controlled Central Asian nation, citing "a negative effect on the development of singing and musical art," the president's office said Tuesday. So I am guessing opening Kareoke bars over there may not be such a good investment after all. Britney Spears is reportedly is not amused by this at all: "But I like touring in Turkey", she exclaimed while pouting. She then proceeded to stuff her mouth with Spam, which she ate with a spoon from the can, like the white trash hoe that she is. Reps for Ashley Simpson still can not be reached for comment!

Gaza Fallout?

Israeli political analysts think Sharon is in big trouble over the Gaza evacuation and are predicting he may lose next year's elections to Netenyaho. Now, let me just assure you right now and get it over with: It won't happen. Sharon is here to stay. Just trust me on this one.

They don't only kill prices over there!

A man turned a Walmart into a shooting galleria, leaving 2 employees dead.

Secularists screwed by Iraq's new constitution?

Safia Souhail, Iraq's ambassador to Egypt and the woman who hugged the dead marine's mom at Bush's state of the Union, seems to think so! Moneyshot: Souhail said the United States, a crucial backstage player keen for a deal that meets U.S.-backed deadlines, had let the Shi'ite Islamists and Kurds in government do as they wish. "We have received news that we were not backed by our friends including the Americans. They left the Islamists to come to an agreement with the Kurds," she said. The Islamic state of Iraq thanks to the US? Somehow i am feeling that this was not in the gameplan. But alas, democracy is democracy. You got to respect people's wishes, and if they demand less freedoms, then who are you to argue? Too bad though; a secular Iraq would've definitely changed this region!

Steven Vincent's wife strikes back

Steven Vincent, who authored the awesome blog In the red Zone, was murderd in Iraq on august 3rd. Juan Cole, insurgents apologist extraordinare, peddled theories that Vincent was having an affair with his interperter and was killed for "honor reasons", and then proceeded to blame him for his own murder and attacked his ignorance of middle-eastern culture and, by implication, his journalistic writing and legacy, basking in the knowledge that a dead man can't fight back. Think again Juan! Steven Vincent's wife decided to respond to mr. Cole in an e-mail. (Hattip Stefania) I susepct his ass is still bleeding, cause damn, she tore him a new one. Read it all here.

Crisis in Saudi Arabia

Something truly horrible has happend in Saudi Arabia, at King Khaled National Guard Hospital on Saturday: They found...I can't say it....they found papercups with (gulp) hebrew writing on them in the Hospital's Cafeteria. (Hattip Gary) Oy! It's all part of the jewish conspiracy to take over Saudi Arabia, I tell you. If the cups can get in unnoticed, then the IDF can not be far behind now, can they? How did this travesty ever happen? Arab News contacted Ibrahim Al-Musbah, manager and owner, who said, “I thank you for informing me. I will look into it personally and the offending articles will be disposed of.” He added that the company has a supplier in the Kingdom from whom they buy restaurant supplies. According to Al-Musbah, the supplier might be unaware of the problem. Al-Musbah later contacted Arab News and said that the paper cups had come to his company by mistake. The cups were in a cardboard box that looked exactly like the ones his company normally receives and so the employees did not notice any difference. "They came in a cardboard box that looked exactly like the ones his company normal receives", eh? You say it so nonchallantly? That's how it starts, people. The next thing you know you will have Jews in your living room that look exactly like your family members. Then what are you gonna do smart-ass? Huh? We have to stop the insanity. We have to be Vigilant. We have to be alert, like the writer of the article asks us to be, and who ends it in a way that leaves us pondering the most horrifying question, ever: The paper cups were quickly withdrawn from use but might there not be other, less obvious, Israeli products in our shops and marketplaces? Oh, the horror, the horror!

The Communist States of America?

You know, one of the major reason why I like the USA is that one of its basic principles is property rights: The government is not allowed to seize your property without emminent domain rights. That was the most major difference to me between capitalism and communism: The government can not just take over your assets like they do in communism in the name of public good or welfare. Your property is yours, and even if they take it from you, they have to compensate you for it with its fair price. In essence, they don't rob you. That was the way the US operated before. Now, it seems things are changing: The government apparently have the power now to take over your money or any financial instrument, any goddamn time they please, as long as there was "an Emergency". But gold and silver owners aren't alone in such jeopardy. For the U.S. Government claims the authority in declared emergencies to seize or freeze just about everything else that might be considered a financial instrument. [...] While the Trading With the Enemy Act authorizes the government to interfere with the ownership of gold and silver particularly, it also applies to all forms of currency and all securities. So the Treasury official stressed in his letter to GATA that the act could be applied not just to shares of gold and silver mining companies but to the shares of all companies in which there is a foreign ownership interest. Further, there is no requirement in the law that the targets of the government's interference must have some connection to the declared enemies of the United States, nor even some connection to foreign ownership. Anything that can be construed as a financial instrument, no matter how innocently it has been used, is subject to seizure under the Trading With the Enemy Act and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Having just gone through a controversy about a Supreme Court decision about government's power of eminent domain, most Americans may be surprised to learn that the Trading With the Enemy Act and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act could expropriate them instantly and far more broadly without any of the due process extended to parties in eminent domain cases. All that is needed is a presidential proclamation of an emergency of some kind -- and of course Americans lately have been living in a state of perpetual emergency. To my American readers: Did you guys know about this? Cause I sure didn't! I don't know much, but i know this: I would call my congressman if I were you, cause this is some Communist tyrannical bullshit and shouldn't be tolerated!

Conversation: The church of Mubarak

*Me and Big Pharaoh Yesterday* BP: Did you hear about that Filopater Gameel guy? You know, the Father in charge of the Addrah(Virgin) church? Me: No, what's his story? BP: Well, he wrote this article in Al Ghad newspaper not supporting Mubarak, so the Coptic Church suspended him from working. Me: Hehe, No way. Pope Shinoda doesn't like dissent in his church huh? BP: Well, he did support Mubarak in the name of all copts. Me: Yeah, and they are not happy with it, the ones I talk to. What the hell is he doing? First he forbids copts from doing the pilgrimage to Jerusalem because of the "injustice that the Palestinians suffer under the Israelis", then he supports Mubarak in the name of the Coptic church and all coptic christians in Egypt and now he punishes people who may disagree with his political views? What is he thinking? BP: I have no idea man. All I know is that that priest refused to retract his article or sign a pledge that states that he supports Mubarak, so now he is suspended for a month and a half. He is supposedly one of the leaderships in Nour El Ghad party. I bet the Pope is also not happy about that. Me: Hehehe, but seriously, what is Shinoda afraid of? BP: I am guessing he is afraid that if he doesn't support Mubarak then things will get bad for his people. Me: Worse then they are right now? Is he joking? How could it possibly get worse? BP: I don't know, maybe he got some deal going or something. Like they will let him build 5 new churches or something. Me: Lol, They probably haggled him: “No, no, you only get 3 churches and a cross”. BP: “And the cross has to have only 3 ends, not 4”. Me: “And you have to name one of the churches after Mubarak”. Oh yes, I can see it now. BP: LOL, the church of Mubarak. Me: The MB would LOVE that!