We have every right to resist

I was thinking of writing a long rant about Fadlallah's recent comments, but I'll spare you the rant with just one line:
-In the final analysis, instead of using incendiary & disrespectful language/attitude Lebanese must remain respectful & recommit to dialogue between those who have differing world views.

Ok moving right along....

Lebanese = iStupid

William M. Thompson only described what he saw and lived back in 1870, just to tell everyone how stupid the Lebanese are, and how things will never change. This paragraph from his book may seem from today's world, however, it was written in description of FACTS that were taking place in 1870 (these are NOT predictions, they are facts that Thompson had observed at that time).
You may look up his book online, and find this passage around page 248, Enjoy!

Lebanon has about 400,000 inhabitants, gathered into more than six hundred towns, villages and hamlets...The various religions and sects live together, and practice their conflicting superstitions in close proximity, but the people do not coalesce into one homogeneous community, nor do they regard each other with fraternal feelings. The Sunnites excommunicate the Shiites - both hate the Druse, and all three detest the Nusairiyeh. The Maronites have no particular love for anybody and, in turn, are disliked by all. The Greeks cannot endure the Greek Catholics; all despise the Jews.

And the same remarks apply to the minor divisions of this land. There is no common bond of union. Society has no continuous strata underlying it, which can be opened and worked for the general benefit of all, but an endless number of dislocated fragments, faults, and dikes, by which the masses are tilted up in hopeless confusion, and lie at every conceivable angle of antagonism to each other. The omnific Spirit that brooded over primeval chaos can alone bring order out of such confusion, and reduce these conflicting elements into peace and concord.

No other country in the world, I presume, has such a multiplicity of antagonistic races; and herein lies the greatest obstacle to any general and permanent amelioration and improvement of their condition, character, and prospects. They can never form one united people, never combine for any important religious or political purpose; and will therefore remain weak, incapable of self-government, and exposed to the invasions and oppressions of foreigners. Thus it has been, is now, and must long continue to be a people divided, meted out, and trodden down."

Written by W. M. Thompson in The land and the Book, 1870.

Dear Mr. Bassil:

The voters voted and rejected you. They rejected your father in law's claims (sole leader of the Christians). Do you seriously think the voters are going to accept you as the country's Interior Minister replacing the current (untouchable) Interior Minister? The voters understand that this is only a negotiating technique. Ask for the moon settle for Telecom. Ministry.

What you need to do in the next four years is go find a real job in the private sector & leave the governing to professionals. And, if you can persuade your wife's father to gently go into that good night and god forbid not rage against the dying of the light, that would be Swell.

There are plenty of reformers and secularists in all camps and the voters can/will survive without ammo Aoun. Paris is wonderful this time of the year.

Why must I tweet?

I twit(ter), I don't know why, but I do. I'm quite addicted to it in fact.
I submit I have nothing to sell/market and I certainly don't care for someone who wishes to market/sell me something using twitter or any other means for that matter.
So why the hell do I tweet? ...
Is it ego driven? Must I really share what's on my mind at any particular moment with a network of random strangers?
Then one may ask, why even blog? why even have face2face conversation to share your opinion on anything? it's goddamn loop I say. Sometimes I hibernate from all this junk (twitter, facebook,....) but then I get the urge like a friggin junkie.
Had I kids to take care of, mouths to feed, I may not be so inclined to use these social networks, but how would I know if that's true???

I have a hunch ;) there are a few Pavlov's out there and the rest of us are bunch of loyal four legged friends itching for more....

Sleepwalkers

SHN sure knows how to put on a show. Well good for you. I hope it helps your morale and builds the necessary confidence to forge excellent ties with the rest of your countrymen. So you're not negotiating from a weak position anymore, but you have responsibility now greater then ever, so act like you've been there before and become a true statesmen.

NOTE: Do NOT drag this tiny, beautiful country to war anymore. It's not your decision to make. Everything and Everyone has a limit.

Build strong bridges with your countrymen, because you still need our safety net
to eke out your existence from one hiding place to another.

What's luck got to do with it? The math of gambling

Everything in life is a bit of a gamble. You could spend months turning down job offers because the next one might be better, or keep laying bets on the roulette table just in case you win. Knowing when to stop can be as much of an asset as knowing how to win. Once again, mathematics can help.

If you have trouble knowing when to quit, try getting your head around "diminishing returns" - the optimal stopping tool. The best way to demonstrate diminishing returns is the so-called marriage problem. Suppose you are told you must marry, and that you must choose your spouse out of 100 applicants. You may interview each applicant once. After each interview you must decide whether to marry that person. If you decline, you lose the opportunity forever. If you work your way through 99 applicants without choosing one, you must marry the 100th. You may think you have 1 in 100 chance of marrying your ideal partner, but the truth is that you can do a lot better than that.

Original Article

Terminal patient's right to die via physician-assisted suicide

A great topic for any SUN - day brunch!


Terry Pratchett, who has early-onset Alzheimer's (and whose mental acuity is still fine) has written a stirring editorial on the need to legalize suicide in the UK. He avows his intention to commit suicide, to "jump before I am pushed," continue

I have come to appreciate Dr. Jack Kevorkian's work more so now then when I first learned about it some years ago. Terminally ill patients with limited time, in that delicate stage of their lives still in control of their mind, having fulfilled their duties to themselves and their family should if they choose to - be set free.
The politicization of the issue is based solely on the insistence of private insurance's desire to maintain the status quo as they have the most to lose if/when current laws are redressed.

And for those who for religious reasons wish to maintain the status quo, you are kindly asked to take your religion and prancer off. Don't participate if you don't want to. But leave the rest of to Reasonable people to make up their own minds.

The ideal way to go about this is granting some kind of Freedom of Choice-Act so that each individual chooses his/her fate. Like Pro-Choice for women.

Gov't role should be limited yet decisive towards Pro-Choice. Each Individual should choose his/her way out if they're lucky enough to have that choice.

In regards to Michael Young's latest Column.

Michael's assessment is correct and I would also want to include Sami Gemayel into this matrix. Samir and Sami are the only ones talking sensibly when it comes to talking truth to "power". Yes they are in the Christian Right, not the best/safest place to be, but they are showing discipline and unity in principle. They're basically saying we need to get to the bottom of our fears and our future goals with regards to all parties in Lebanon, with the New Mature Bashar (akh ya walid bek, you make me laugh), Israel and the Palestinians. Lebanese of any faith, member of any political party, should not be threatened by these views. These are not only the Ouwet/Kateab principles. If you don't like the men themselves, fine! but the principles are true and commonly discussed among us.

Compromises must be made on all sides. We as Lebanese need to pressure our leaders toward the goals/dreams we aspire. We also need to rely on outside powers (OBAMA-Yes-We-Can-My-Other-President/SARKOZY) to pressure Bashar/Israel and our Iranian friends who are so sincere in their concern for us.(threw up just now)

BioGraphic Novels

Sometimes when you’re reading a biography, the only thing you think to yourself is “Geez, this would be so much better if it had pictures!” Well, you need not look any further then the newest fad to hit the ever blossoming graphic novel industry, the BioGraphic novel!

These BioGraphic novels give you a chance to take a look at the life of somebody famous like Che Guevara, only with the added element of awesome artist renditions of his life’s events. In 2009 alone, there has been the release of the Dalai Lama’s BioGraphic novel, which followed the lead of Mother Teresa’s and Che Guevara’s.

If anything, these BioGraphic novels will interest those who don’t like to read as much by enticing them with cool illustrations.

References: biographicnovel

world pressure/accountability on Israel for the violations of Lebanese Air space and some well showcased Hizb anti-aircraft missiles hopefully will bring home the message to our neighbors from south of the boarder.

happy vacation

the young mr. hariri, up to this point, demonstrates clearly that he has no business being in politics. he still has plenty of time to prove me wrong however.

my suggestion to him: find your father's murderers, do something about it, and return to ksa to do your good deeds from your asl.

i have yet to see a capable politician from either camp knowing how to lead the real majority in this country.

the real majority of course consists of the educated, secular, centrist/moderate and the capable patriot who's only interest in forming a government is to serve the interests of all lebanese equally.

if only the incapable politician (the criminal) gets out of the way of the patriotic lebanese then and only then we really might have a chance to have a country we can be proud of.

my 2 cents

Hariri's only power play at this point is to exclude all the opposition from the next gov't. Bring in all technocrats and make sure to ONLY highlight the Lebanese Authority (LAF) in the ministerial statement. Furthermore, I suggest Hariri appoint someone else as the PM in the next gov't. Safadi maybe.

The opposition is welcome to contest for a say in the gov't in about 4 years time.

No more Kefraya for me

jump-a-lot (abu taymour) is running to the hills literally.
he knows Iran is being prepared, and the STL is being prepared for local consumption.
as WJ tries to get out from under the cross-hairs of Sunni/Shiaa strife, i'd like to say a small prayer: dear big guy who created it all, pls spare us from internal armageddon by steering stl's final verdict in implicating only those outside of our boarders.

furthermore, i'm sad to say i will not be purchasing/drinking Kefraya wine anymore

Jump-a-lot's fears of Druze insignificance or a threat to their existence is baseless. The Beik will die and be=gone, but the Druze of Lebanon will remain. As long as there is a Lebanon, there will be the mountain Druze of Lebanon.

Julia Sweeney: "Letting Go of God" (an excerpt)

Ideas to Die For

I want to be a quitter

I again am trying to quit smoking, but this beast is a mighty challenge.
This beast uses all its means to destroy your will to quit. It mentally and physiologically torments. The first day or two, is pure torment. Then it begins to tease you by false hope and appetite. Three, four days in it mocks you by making you loosen your belt-buckle few notches and it asks you constantly, is quitting really worth it? we are all going to die anyway, are you really that concerned about how you're going to end up looking in your coffin?

Hi,

Anyone know how to import Xanga weblogs without dishing out cash?

Military Junta

The Thai Junta doesn't look so bad after all. Now, under who's boot are our Military men?

GOODBYE MY LOVE, GOODBYE

(Mario Panas / Klaus Munro / Jack Lloyd)
Demis Roussos (Egypt)


Hear the wind sing a sad old song
It knows I'm leaving you today
Please don't cry or my heart will break
When I go on my way

Goodbye my love, goodbye
Goodbye and au revoir
As long as you'll remember me
I'll never be too far
Goodbye my love, goodbye
I always will be true
So hold me in your dreams
Till I come back to you

See the stars in the skies above
They'll shine wherever I may roam
I will pray ev'ry lonely night
That soon they'll guide me home

Goodbye my love, goodbye
Goodbye and aurevoir
As long as you'll remember me
I'll never be too far
Goodbye my love, goodbye
I always will be true
So hold me in your dreams
Till I come back to you ....

Parallels and Paradoxes

Those of us who are not Americans can only look on in wonder at the similar ease with which the ancient rights and liberties of the individual are being surrendered in the United States in the wake of 9/11. The vote by the Senate on Thursday to suspend the right of habeas corpus for terrorism detainees, denying them their right to challenge their detention in court; the careful wording about torture, which forbids only the inducement of “serious” physical and mental suffering to obtain information; the admissibility of evidence obtained in the United States without a search warrant; the licensing of the president to declare a legal resident of the United States an enemy combatant — all this represents an historic shift in the balance of power between the citizen and the executive. Continue