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Politicians are good at “BS” too. They are probably even better at it, because it’s not only a professor they are deceiving but huge numbers of people. When policy makers and leaders in the upper level provide BS from behind desks, these factors influence other factors. That is really serious!

In a series of internal musings and memos to his staff, then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld argued that Muslims avoid “physical labor” and wrote of the need to “keep elevating the threat,” “link Iraq to Iran” and develop “bumper sticker statements” to rally public support for an increasingly unpopular war.

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I suspect that many of you have been seeing the “This Account Has Exceeded Its CPU Quota” message all the time lately. Well, I don’t know what the hell that is and I am currently working on it. Frustrating.

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I’ve been bitter the past week. As if you hadn’t noticed from my recent blog posts. All I’ve been doing is rant and complain. Boo. Most of my post for the past few months have been about issues with my everyday life. I don’t like that actually. I started this blog as a suggestion from a friend to show a couple of my cartoons about the Women’s Voting Rights issue in Kuwait a couple of years ago. After that calmed down in two weeks or so I told myself I should continue writing informative posts so that I could become a better writer and to exercise my journalist skills.

Well today will be my last personal post (for a while at least). So instead of being ranty, I’ll leave it on a good note.

As we all know, today is October 31st: Holloween. My campus is certainly not a quiet one and the students here are pretty active and diverse. That’s a really great thing.

Anyway, as I was walking to classes today I noticed a couple of people decided to have fun and go to their classes in costumes. One particular costume got the people around me and my attention. A guy was dressed up as a penis with a condom on! I don’t know if he bought it or if he made it himself. I just know that it was hilarious. He must have been afraid of getting arrested for indecency because he added an education element to it by taping a sign on his backpack that said “Please practice safe sex.”

I never knew how much Disney movies of today sucked until I went back and watched some the original movies we all grew up watching. I don’t appreciate the whole Disney/Pixar relationship at all. I think Pixar should branch out on their own and just focus on making the sweet little theatrical shorts that they show in cinemas before their main feature.

These days, the “cartoon” movies are always computer generated crap. And all the studios are so busy trying to make theirs more and more realistic looking! Soundtracks are just really pathetic, all covers of regular songs sung by lame people. Also, what the hell is with all the cultural references of today?! “It’s not only enjoyable for children, but for adults too! Yay!” WTF! Forget about watching a nice fairytale some time soon. Everything needs to funny now. Everything needs to funny AND American.

I want to see incredible hand-drawn art that took ages to draw frame by frame. I want to listen to beautiful music and songs composed by great musicians with the help of giant studio orchestras. I want a good story without any interruptions or sidetracking in the plot line. I want dramatic tear-jerking moments, damn it!

I always have hope that things would go back the way it used to be because Mulan was great in 1998. But I always remind myself that Toy Story had even greater success in 1995, and then came the rest of the computer animated films. Each more successful than the other.

Honestly, the only modern film I really liked was Finding Nemo, because Ellen Degeneres was as great as Robin Williams was in Aladdin (even though 99% of his performance was made up of cultural references of that time).

I finally know why they won’t make movies like they used to before. I looked at all the voice actors, producers, writers, directors, and animation teams of many of the movies. Most have one thing in common: they’re dead.

And on that sad note, I’ll leave you with a beautiful song that was specifically written for Lady and the Tramp (1955). The first half is sung by the character “Tony.”

Bella Notte by Peggy Lee Sonny Burke. [3.6 MB]

With the slightest triggering of any emotion (usually negative), you suddenly feel acids seeping through the lining of you stomach causing obvious discomfort and definite irritability. You can’t stand whatever it is you can’t stand.

I meet new people. Some seem perfectly fine in the beginning. We have a nice first meeting, have a great conversation and might even like the same things. Over time as I get to hang out with them and get to know them better, my feelings start to change.

The precise moment could be at anytime. I start noticing things that really get my attention. The way they talk, the way they eat, they way they deal with situations, etc. Basically things that are part of their identity. I start to realize that I don’t want to be around them. I dread even chatting to them online. But once in a while I do say hello just to erase any suspicions.

I don’t want to do that anymore. I really don’t care to be around them anymore so what am I afraid of ruining? Nothing. Thankfully, with bloggers it is pretty easy to cut them off. I don’t get the urge to rip out their throats.

This isn’t cruelty, I just don’t want ulcers.

The Beatles
Blackbird
Paul McCartney
“Wings”
Gustavo Santaolalla
The Wings

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The Wings by Gustavo Santaolalla. [4.4 MB]

inspired by..

Blackbird by The Beatles. [5.3 MB]

Well remember the post a few days ago? Everyone seemed to agree about shipping a huge container with all my stuff. I searched online for a container in the first place. All I found were giant sized ones that could fit a small car or really tiny ones for shipping fragile things. Then I found the PERFECT thing. The size was just right and it was heavy duty. It was a Zarges 40876 Aluminum Shipping Case. But it costs around $1,000! I didn’t expect that all! I thought maximum it would be $500. And it’s $200 just to ship it to me.

So that idea is pretty much shot. I think I’ll just need to go through my stuff again and see what I really want to bring back. Painful.

I’ll bring three suitcases with me when I go home for Christmas. And maybe another when I go to Egypt for Spring Break. It’ll work itself out. I just don’t want to deal with any of it in May. But my TV is going home, God damn it. It’s my pride and joy.

Another solution is if both my parents come visit me mid-April with only carry-on luggage and/or empty suitcases. Then I would have four pieces already on the way back home! Including my box of DVDs! My dad would deal with customs much better than I can.

(Unlikely..)

I’m so glad I woke up this morning. I was randomly switching channels heard Regis (Live with Regis and Kelly) say “Jake Gyllenhaal.” And then out came Jake.

STUNNING.

Don’t need coffee today.

To see what he is saying about his new important movie coming up and what he currently looks like (my fave, short hair and beard), check out the latest videos of him in interviews uploaded on YouTube.

I was thinking about names the other day like many of us do occasionally. What am I going to name my kids? Maybe this or maybe that.. no, no, definitely that. I’m sure.

But I decided I shouldn’t decide! Names are important. It is a huge part of our identity that we cannot change: it is with us even while lying underneath our tombstones. [Unless you had horrible parents who named you 6ag3a (fart), Gafsha (spoon), Zbala (garbage), Goo6i (box), etc.]

I want my kids to be named the name that comes to them, not the name I chose before they even existed! Take my cousin for example. She was going through some rough times in her life around the time she got pregnant. But when the baby finally came, she felt as if all those things didn’t matter. They were very trivial compared to this new life she helped make. That was Salwa, and she was her solace.

My name is Hoda. Although I don’t think the meaning of the name was much of a factor in my naming process, I think my naming story is the funniest I’ve heard. When I was born, my parents had decided on naming me Dalal. However, no one informed my grandmother in Egypt of this so when a phone call confirming my arrival was made, she declared that I would be named after her. Neither of my parents wanted to be the one to tell her that I already had a name so I was renamed to Hoda. That’s a great story and I love telling it.

Notice how my name is spelled in English with an Egyptian pronunciation (letter O). Before I had to do my official government papers and got my high school diploma, I thought about having my name spelled with a U to make it sound Kuwaiti when read in English. But I decided not to. Although it annoyed me a lot at school (and now still) when the teachers would call me ‘HO-DA’ even after telling them it’s actually ‘HOO-DA’ or ‘HU-DA.’ My mom probably spelled it out that way in the hospital and I’m proud my name has a rich flavor of Egyptian essence thanks to the story and the pronunciation in English.

My kids will have a story to their name. I know it.

I was a party tonight at my friend’s place. It was to celebrate her marriage. Me and couple of others weren’t too happy about this courthouse union to a guy who was definitely less than par. He works at Lowes and she has “temporarily” dropped out of school to work full time at Walmart. You getting the mental image yet? Well that’s just what it looks like.

The only reason they are married is so they can get some sort of amount of money from the army. Apparently, he’s going to Iraq sometime in the winter for a year. So basically, we (her friends) were not exactly celebrating. But that actually wasn’t the point of the post.

It was a party so there was heavy drinking. They guys were fine. I notice that guys prefer beer than hard liquor. The ladies are the opposite. They didn’t have beer so the girls were getting drunk. midway through the “getting drunk” process, the bride and this other girl were very entertaining. It was hilarious! But by the end of the night, they were really getting out of control. My newlywed friend was crying so hard for no reason. Bringing up the past and other shit like that. It was a really sad sight.

I can’t imagine why someone would put themselves in that kind of position. I just don’t see the fun of getting drunk. I asked my close friend one time why she does it every weekend and she couldn’t give me an answer. She didn’t even know. She said that it was like a drug. Well, I didn’t let her drink tonight. I told her I didn’t want to deal with it.

I also don’t get why boasting about it is so cool. “Oh man, I partied so hard last night I woke up in my friend’s neighbor’s back yard! Hahaha!” Idiot.

Even if alcohol wasn’t against my religion, I might have some once in a while but I don’t think I would ever get to the point where I had to throw up or pee in the backyard bushes (I’ve seen it happen). But I will never actually know why it is considered fun.

What the hell is wrong with college kids? I just don’t understand.

Sorry I forgot! Kil 3am wentaw ib kheir ya jema3a!

So this is, hopefully, my last year here so I’ll be moving out. I’ll be moving out a lot of stuff. Definitely more stuff than could fit two suitcases on a plane. So what will I do?

I’m bringing home many boxes of knick-knacks and things (I’m a pack rat and I hate throwing away stuff), a really nice TV, about 150 DVDs (will customs take them, thinking it is ‘tejara?’), a suitcase or two (other than the two with me on the plane), and God knows what else by the end of the year.

I thought of shipping a box every month back home, but that’s ridiculous and expensive.

Any ideas?

I bet you never thought you’d see something like this. This is a commercial for Winston cigarettes starring the Flintstones! Produced in 1961, the Flintstones were sponsored by Winston cigarettes and faced lots of negative reactions since the show was watched by mostly children. However, once Pebbles was born in 1963, it was the end of Winston’s involvement with the Flintstones.

I downloaded this ages ago but it was next in line on the list of cartoons I’m planning on featuring here. Enjoy!

Contact me for a download request.

I was so busy whining about my trivial “problems” yesterday that I forgot that it was the birthday of someone very special to me.

Happy birthday John.

“Everybody loves you when you’re six foot in the ground.”

Well I knew it wasn’t going to be a good next few days when I almost destroyed my noise by standing in the way of a flailing door Sunday evening.

We had a fire alarm go off at 5am Sunday night and I thought it was another lame drill they want us to do, so I decided to stay in. But of course, it turned out to be real.. and on my floor. It was a small fire, but it still was a fire. After the firefighters put it out, a cop went through all the rooms in the floor to see if there was anybody there. They wrote up four of us. I think we’ll be fined or have a letter sent to mommy and daddy. But I’m over 21 so it’ll either be a stupid letter for me or a fine.

Monday morning came and I went to my statistics class and got back an exam that I bombed when I thought I actually rocked it. I hate multiple choice. I hate no partial credit. I hate no partial credit on multiple choice exams!

It’s been really hot here these days. We’ve had the highest recorded temperatures in this state since the 1910s or something around that. Cold front coming in starting tonight though. Weather sucks. I’m glad I’m not studying meteorology. Although I did consider a minor. I don’t know what I was thinking.

I also learned that I won’t be able to get a BA in Art History. I only need five more effing classes to have a DEGREE IN ART HISTORY! But I can’t because of a stupid technicality! This means I will be done with school by the middle of next summer and not December 2008. Less than a year left.

Man, the last two weeks were super awesome! I guess this is just what happens after really being happy.

I was debating wether to post this or not. Although I hate them, everyone has a Negative Nancy or Debbie Downer period of time. I just want to fast-forward to 10 minutes before I land in Kuwait for Christmas vacation dammit. Heffff..

I HATE it when I get this response when I ask someone if they’ve read a certain book. Don’t people know that not everything in a book could fit into a 120 minute feature film? Take any of the last couple of Harry Potter books, if everything from the book was filmed then the movies would be at least six hours long! And all fans can back me up in saying that people who “just watch the movie” are seriously missing out on some quality story telling!

People also don’t know that the movies don’t always follow the novels as they are. For instance in the novel, Forrest Gump there’s no continuous running from sea to sea, his mom doesn’t die or have sleep with a school principle, Forrest goes to a special school and didn’t even have leg braces. Not to mention the COUNTLESS other accidental adventures he has with his companions. There is a monkey who is one of the main characters; it also goes to space with him.

Sometimes I watch movies and not even know they were based on novels. Whenever I like a movie after watching it, I always go online and check out trivia and other facts about it and I get excited if it mentions a novel!

Books I’m really looking forward to reading:
1. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe - I love the movie adaptation.
2. Corelli’s Mandolin - I read an excerpt for my high school English class, it is an intense and highly graphic war novel.
3. Brokeback Mountain (short story) - It;s one of my favorite movies of all time.
4. Frank Miller’s Sin City (comic book series) - The movie was moving art.

Come on people! It seems like no one like books anymore! Reading is cool! Yay for books!

[nerd smiley]

Extraordinary rendition and irregular rendition are terms used to describe the extrajudicial transfer of a person from one state to another, and Torture by proxy is used by some critics to describe extraordinary rendition by the United States, with regard to the transfer of suspected terrorists to countries known to employ harsh interrogation techniques that may rise to the level of torture.
— Wikipedia

Rendition is an upcoming moving I am extremely excited about and I am confident it will be one of the best movies of the year. You really can’t go wrong with the actors and subject of the movie. However, the director is a relatively unknown person and this will be his first Hollywood feature.

The movie is about the American wife of a suspected Egyptian terrorist who is trying to find out what happened to her husband who “disappeared” during a flight from South Africa to Washington, DC. It also squares in on a CIA analyst who questions himself during the interrogation of this suspected Egyptian terrorist.

Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gyllenhaal and the great Meryl Streep. What more could I ask for! Also, this could one the rare times when an Arab character is actually innocent in a big-time Hollywood film. We’ll just have to wait and see. I’m pumped.

Watch the super cool trailer here. The movie comes out October 19th in the USA.

In America, college kids always get “care packages” from their older family members especially during their freshman year. Parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents send packages with canned food, homemade cookies and other stuff that are useful.

I’m in my senior year and I never got one… UNTIL YESTERDAY! The package had my old sneakers that I forgot to pack, a white wool chmaq from my dad which I also forgot to pack, a giant flag of Kuwait to hang up on my wall, cute tin boxes of Patchi gerge’aan from my uncle and Khaleeji cookbooks!

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Good ol’ Charlie Brown. He’s hopless. A hopeless romantic. I would like that in a man.

Another month, another list of resolutions.

There is something about beginnings that give people so much hope. They actually believe that it’s the start of something new. A fresh beginning, another chance to make things right. Many of them don’t know that almost all of them will be disappointed.

The first of the month. The first day of the week. The first day after a birthday. The first day of the first month of a new year! First First First!

BUT! I am going to be one of those sappy people. Gonna keep my resolutions to myself though. If they happen, great! If not, well at least I tried.

[Photographer]

This is a response to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s recent comments in New York.

I wrote a small research paper last semester about sexuality in Iran. It was actually inspired by Misguided’s post.

Basically, Ahmadinejad doesn’t know what the hell he is talking about. He should shut up and stop insulting the world’s intelligence.

Warning: this is a long post, but I hope you’re interested enough to read it.

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Dancing With Broken Bones is a book my friend gave me to read. It was very short but I’m glad I read it.

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I can think of quite a few to say about this. What will you say?

Image taken from a forward email.

Here is what the email pointed out:

+ The car is a piece of shit (I have no idea how he drove it all the way to Paris).
+ Moronic stickers.
+ Email and phone number in full view (we have a lot of those.. people who have them need to get shot).
+ **HAS INTERNATIONAL CALLING CODE IN PHONE NUMBER, so that foreigners would call him**

This just doesn’t make any sense to me. He was a bit aggressive with what he said and with his questions but they were in favor of John Kerry! He must have been a supporter of his during the elections in 2004.

Exactly a year ago my mom opened a shop in Galleria 2000 in Salmiya for bed, bath and table linens. She specializes in 100% Egyptian cotton and pure linen and in long tablecloths - minimum 3.5m and longer because these are NOT available in Kuwait at all. This stuff is great as “gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, new mothers, new homes, etc. because her stuff is original, not too expensive and won’t be thrown out in a few days (flowers) or add inches to your waistline (chocolates)!”

Recently, she brought in a new line of products. Sherry Linens now offers Italian double faced quilts in silk and cotton. These look and feel fantastic. I really love them. Check out the images below.

There is also a catalogue at the store with a large collection of designs and colors that could be ordered in any size and in any of three types: light, medium and heavy. The ones available now are mostly medium and only two light ones. Coordinated cushions can also be ordered in several sizes and designs.

Coming soon is a collection of sleepwear (nightgowns, dressing gowns, pyjamas), also from Italy.

Location: Galleria 2000 mall in Salmiya. Next door to Plaza.
Opening hours: 9:30am - 1:30pm / 5:30pm - 9:30pm (Saturdays thru Thursdays)
Ramadhan hours: 8:30pm - 11:30pm (Saturdays thru Thursdays)
Tel #: 5722434