Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Respect




Since her son's death in Iraq in three years ago, this American lady has been the most popular anti-war activist inside the US. She lead demonstrations and formed the "Bring Them Home Now" tour with other anti-war activists. She went to Crawford, Texas where Bush lived and camped at a tent outside his ranch for one month demanding a meeting with him, which he never agreed upon.
She was frequently arrested and described as a "media whore" by the media but so far, she has been one of the biggest voices against the war.

Yesterday she announced that she was tired and she quit her anti-war activism. She said that her son died "for nothing". About 54% of the CNN readers today agree with her.

Good-bye Cindy Sheehan.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Hareega was Here




In 2004 I had an interview in Cleveland clinic in Miami, yes it's called Cleveland clinic and it's in Miami, just like they have Michigan Avenue in Chicago and al Gardens street in Amman where no flower exists, I was relaxing on South Beach one day when some folks from Green Peace asked me if I wanted to join in one of their activities.


Filled with guilt from throwing stones at cats in our neighborhood and smashing cockroaches in our kitchen with my father's old shibshib I decided that it's time for me to do something about the environment. About 1500 people joined together on the beach and we had some directors ordering use to lay down in certain lines and circles.

We were told that we were recreating a picture for Picasso. A helicopter flew over us and we were told to stay still because they were taking photos for us from above there.


Next day I checked the photos and it was marvelous. The picture was that of man in prison. Picasso drew this painting in 1955 in protest to Franco's regime that executed and threw in prison many of Spain's thinkers. Greenpeace were protesting how George Bush was prosecuting them after they boarded a ship carrying illegal mahogany from Brazil.







I remember laying down in a big circle that surrounded another smaller circle. I was told that our circle was forming the eye. Probably it was the man's left eye. Regardless, knowing that you were part of something like that is amazing.


Since that day, I've never smashed any cockroach in the kitchen (they run too fast!)

Here's more on the story

To everyone who survived biochemistry

Thumbs up to everyone who stayed up all night trying to memorize the chemicals, the ATPs, the NADs, NADPS and hexolases and ismoerazes, the phosphrylazes and phosphatases in all the chemcial cycles that can not last in any memory more than 24 hours

Thumbs up to everyone who was, at least for once, convinced that without memorizing how many carbon atoms there were in alph-ketoglutarate was not able to become a good doctor, pharamacist or a nurse.

I'm dreaming of a biochemistry book where glycolysis, Kreb's cycle and the 20 freakin amino acids are not mentioned. Until that day comes, I'll keep complaining!






Friday, May 18, 2007

Always al-Faisali





I will not regret cancelling my clinic this morning and packing up my schedule and working 15 days nonstop in a row and registring for the ridicuolously expensive ART -America channel in order to run from the hospital this morning to watch al-Faisali playing in the second leg of their final againts Wefaq Staif.

We lost 1-0 and we lost the title, we always lose at home and win outside because the fans, as loyal and emotional as they are, can pose a horrible negative effect on the team especially when the players' sisters are always mentioned whenever one misses a corner or makes a wrong pass.

Al-Faisali impressed everyone in this tournament. It is among the poorest teams in the whole championship and it was still able to knock out flithy rich teams from Saudi Arabi, Kuwait and Egypt. They deserve the best and one day we'll win the cup. Faisali has been the only Jordanian team that was able to score big results and has been our represntative outside Jordan.

Always with Faisali, when they win and when they lose, and the players deserve all our support and respect.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Jordanian Jihadists

Sitting at Starbucks, I got myself a copy of the New York Times and there, on the front page, read "Jordanian Jihadists Long to Kill and Die in Iraq". The article was a long one and contained many interviews with a few Jordanians willing to go to Iraq and fight there. It also mentioned details of a few Jordanians who already went there and died.

My first objection was to the word "Jihadist", I rarely ever heard it in Arabic. I know there's Jihad, but a "Jihadist" is now synonymous with terrorist, again misuse of words that will make Muslims angry. The article is focused on how much Zarqa's citizens are impressed by Zarqawi and anyone who decides to go and fight in Iraq.

Imagine Diego Maradona was from Kerak. He'd be an idol there and every other newborn in Kerak will be named Diego. His pictures will be everywhere and people would really want to be like him. Zarqawi seems to have made a similar effect in Zarqa, and Zarqa is well known to be a center for Islamists for many years, way before the war in Iraq started, but the emergence of Zarqawi had an additive effect and many citizens living there want to be another Zarqawi.

The main problem with those kids going to fight in Iraq is that their main goal is to kill as many non-Muslims as possible, the Shiia being considered non-Muslims. They're not seeking the end of American occupation or democracy or peace in Iraq, they're seeking the dominance of one religious sect over another in one big country where separation is impossible.

Just like it takes plenty of time and effort to make a great scientist, it takes plenty of time and effort to make a "Jihadist". You got the money- oil-rich governments and the US who supported Islamic movements for many years, you got the time- it's been there for at least 20 years, and now you got the most perfect circumstances; Bush calling it a "crusade" war and attacking a country for no reason and fueling a war among Muslims and eventually executing its previous president on the night of Eid Al-Adha with people around him chanting racist slogans.

Yesterday a Jordanian taxi driver, Muhammad Shnewer, was arrested in New Jersey in a plot with six others to attack a soldier base in America. His group was not connected to al -Qaeda, it was homegrown. I tend to believe that there are plenty of men out there who are willing to do exactly like Shnewer did. Nobody was born a terrorist and if you consider the lives and environments in which these blowing themselves up lived you'll be amazed by how easily a "Jihadist" could have been a doctor, a scientist or a football player like Diego Maradona.

Monday, May 07, 2007

Very strong discussion in an American TV show about Iraq

Despite the level of freedom in the US and the general disapproval of most Americans to how Bush started and handled the war, very few programs or TV hosts have expressed themselves as well as Bill Maher did (he's not Arabic despite the name Maher)

Here's a great short clip of a very strong discussion about the war in Iraq. It's needless to say that the lady speaking works for Fox News!



Saturday, May 05, 2007

Seven Stones...... crossing boundaries

Today I came across an Indian doctor, who knew how much I was fond of football. I was checking the NBA web site.

"It's strange you're not checking soccer news!"

"I've already checked them"

"Do you watch cricket?"

"Not really, but I heard the world cup is going on"

"It's over, Australia won, and India lost in the first round to Bangladesh, it was a disaster"

"Yeah I'm sure it sucks to have one billion people feel sad all at once"

"Do you play cricket in Lebanon", he asked

"I'm not from Lebanon"

"I mean Egypt....."

"Neither...."

"Turkey?"

"Jordan", I replied

"Yeah do you play cricket there?"

"No, I barely know what cricket is. All I know is that a player throws a ball at another player"

"Yes and the other player has to shoot it with his bat"

"In Jordan we have something similar. We used to play in neighborhoods. The boys divide themselves into 2 teams, then they arrange seven stones over each other, and boys try to hit the stones with a tennis ball. IF a boy hits the stones the other teams runs away......."

the Indian doctor interrupted, "I know, the boy tries to hit the other team members before they can get back to arrange the stones"

I was totally surprised. "Do you know the game" I asked

"Of course"

"What is called in India?"

"Putame"- I think that's the name he said

"What does it mean?

"It doesn't mean anything"

"But it should mean something, in Jordan we call it Sab3 Hjaar, it means seven stones, because the stones we use in the game are seven"

"In India it doesn't mean anything"

"And do you use seven stones?"

"Maybe seven or nine, I forgot"

I had a very strange feeling. I always thought of Sab3 Hjaar as a very local game, something Jordanian or Jordanian/Iraqi/Syrian kind of game. Obviously they also have it in India. I always felt it's the idea from which baseball was created , one player throws a ball then runs and the other team players try to hit him with it.

I don't think I'll ever play "Seven Stones" again, but I'll always think it's way more exciting, creative and competitive than baseball, cricket, or that stupid nameless Indian game.

Friday, May 04, 2007

1-1

الفيصلي يتعادل مع وفاق سطيف في ذهاب نهائي كأس العرب حطينا هدف التعادل بآخر لحظة


الإياب في عمان بعد أسبوعين....غلبناهم قبل هيك في عمان
لازم نغلبهم كمان مرة





Thursday, May 03, 2007

بالنسبة للي بدو يبيع كليته

أولا شكراً لكل شخص غلب حالو وبعت إيميل للمواطن الفلسطيني الذي وضع إعلان لبيع كليته وبصراحة كنت شوي بشكك في صدق الإعلان

لكن المواطن رد باليميل على بعض البلوغرجية والقراء
في رد على أحد الاعضاء قال:
"
"أخي الكريم أذا أردت أن تتواصل معي بخصوص عرضي لكليتي فهذا إيميلي تستطيع ان نتواصل فيها بشأن العرض الذي عرضته
punisher-2006@hotmail.com
وانا أعرضها 7000 دولار أمريكي , فهي سليمه ومستعد لفحص طبي أيضا , اما إذا كنت تفكر
بمعونه ماليه فللأسف لن أقبلها وأشكرك على تعاطفك معي
"
بالنسبة لسمرز فكان الرد كالتالي
:
"شكرا لك على تعاطفك وعلى رسالتك الكريمه
أخي الكريم
المعاناه والمأساه التي أعيشها هي التي دفعتني لعرض كليتي للبيع فللأسف لم تتركلي الظروف حلأ آخرفقد مضى على تخرجي من الجامعه ما يقارب 4 سنوات ومازلت عاطلاً عن العمل لاأستطيع مساعده نفس أو اهلي , حتى أرضنا الزراعيه وهي مصدر رزقنا الوحدي قام جيشالإحتلال الإسرائيلي بتجريفها وتدميرها ومنعونا حتى من الوصول لها فلقد أصبحتكراجاً لدباباتهمومعداتهم العسكريهأخي الكريم مهما حاولت ان أصف المأساه والمعاناه التي أعيشها لن أستطيع انأفيها حقها فهي تفوق الوصفأخي الكريم لماذا تعتقد أني عرضت كليتي للبيع ما هو السبب ؟
أخي الكريم أبيع كليتي , أفضل أن أتسول وأمد يدي للناس , أخي الكريم إن كنتراغبا بالمساعده أما أن تقوم بقبول عرضي إن رغبت به أو أن تجد لي مشترياً وانا مستعد لأي فحص طبي حتى أثبت سلامه الكليه لديك الخيارين لمساعدتي
1- أما أن تقبل عرضي وأن تشتري الكليه او ان تجد مشترياً لها
2- وأما أن تساعدني للحصول على فرصه عمل
أخي الكريم أنا لا أقبل أي معون ماليه دون مقابل , صحيح أني محتاج ولكني صاحب كرامه وعزه نفس وأهون عليه ان أبيع أعضائي على أن أقبل مساعده من دون مقابل
وأشكرك ثانيا على تعاطفك معي
وللأسف حتى الآن لم اجد مشتريا لها , لكنى بالتأكيد سأجد في النهايه
my telphone number
00970599575279
والسلام ختام"
----------------------------------------------------------------
هذه هي الخلاصة اللي وصلنالها الاخ ما زالت عنده عزة نفس ورغبة في البقاء والتضحية
سمعنا الاسبوع الماضي عن واحد وثمانين أردني باعوا كلاهم
ولسا في ناس بتقلك الاقتصاد في الاردن في تحسن والاوضاع فوق الريح
شوف احكيلك...
في فرق بين واحد فقير زي الفقرا اللي بنعرفهم واللي يا دوب معو مصاري يعيش زي بني الادم وبين شخص ماكل خرا
اللي بقرر يبيع كليته شخص ماكل خرا فقد الامل بكل اشي بالحياة
من الافضل لذلك المواطن الغلبان والواحد ثمانين الآخرين أن يفقدوا لحمهم على أن يفقدوا عزة نفسهم
الناس بتسوطي حيط الفقير وبتعامله كالعبد وكأنه يستحق ما يجري له

لا يمكن إلا أن أتذكر بعض الابيات لمحمود درويش

سجل...
انا عربي...
واعمل مع رفاق الكدح في محجر
واطفالي ثمانية
اسلّ لهم رغيف الخبز والاثواب والدفترمن الصخر
ولا اتوسل الصدقات من بابك
ولا اصغر امام بلاط اعتابك
فهل تغضب
!!!!!سجل
...برأس الصفحة الاولى
انا لا اكره الناس,
ولا اسطو على احد
ولكني... اذا ما جعت, آكل لحم مغتصبي
حذار... حذار...
من جوعي ومن غضبي