My Fourteenth Birthday

One More Dabsheh (II)

Ten Ways To Liven Up A Meeting

1 Stand up and act indignant. Demand that the boss tell you the 'real' reason this meeting has been called.

2 Spill coffee on the conference table. Produce a little paper boat and sail it down the table.

3 Stay behind as everyone else, including the boss, leaves. Thank them for coming.

4 Give a broad wink to someone else at the table. In time, wink at everyone. Sometimes shake your head just a little, as if to indicate that the speaker is slightly crazy and everybody knows it.

5 Arrange to have a poorly-dressed young woman with an infant quietly enter the meeting, stare directly at the (male) speaker for a while, burst into tears, then leave the room.

6 Bring a hand puppet, preferably an animal. Ask it to clarify difficult points.

7 When there is a call for questions, lean back in your chair, prop your feet up on the table, smile contentedly, and say, "Well, here's the way I see it, J.B..." (or any other impressive-sounding initials that are not actually your boss's.)

8 Complain loudly that your neighbour won't stop annoying you. Demand that the boss make him/her stop doing it.

9 Bring a small mountain of computer printouts to the meeting. If possible, include some old-fashioned fanfold paper for dramatic effect. Every time the speaker makes a point, pretend to check it in one of the printouts. Pretend to find substantiating evidence there. Nod vigorously, and say "uh-huh, uh-huh!"

10 Just leave the meeting...

A Missing Verse From The Quran?!

Have you ever heard of Surat Al-Muslimoon?

Our Friday prayer Imam told us this Friday about how people are trying to change the Quran, and about his findings on the Internet. He found very strange 'verses' from the Quran, that were obviously not from it. He read to us Surat Al-Muslimoon (Verse of the Muslims), and warned us that new comers to Islam would really think this was a missing verse and believe these lies.

And so I went home, got on the computer, and ran a search on Google for "سورة المسلمون". I found it, our Imam was telling the truth. The Google search also found a member in a forum that actually believes this verse is a missing one from the Quran. Here is the verse, what do you think of this gibberish?

(1) الصم (2) قُل يا أَيُها الْمُسلِمُونَ إنَكُم لفي ضَلالٍ بَعِيد (3) إنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِاللّهِ ومسيحهِ لَهُمْ فِي الآَخِرَةِ نَارُ جَهَنّمَ وعَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ (4) وجوهٌ يومئذٍ صاغرةٌ مكفهرةٌ تلتمسُ عفوَ اللهِ واللهُ يفعلُ ما يريد (5) يومَ يقولُ الرحمنُ يا عبادي قد أنعمتُ على الذينَ من قبلِكم بالهدى منزّلاً في التوراةِ والإنجيل (6) فما كان لكم أن تكفروا بما أنزلتُ وتضلوا سَوَاء السبيل (7) قالوا ربنا ما ضَلَلْنا أنفُسنا بل أضلنا مَنْ ادّعى أنه من المرسلين (8) وإذ قالَ اللهُ يا محمد أغويتَ عبادي وجعلتهُم من الكافرين (9) قالَ ربِّي إنما أغوانيَ الشيطانُ إنهُ كانَ لبني آدمَ أعظمَ المفسدين (10) ربي اعْفُ عني واغفرْ لي واقبلني معَ التائبين (11) إني بمسيحِكَ لَمُؤمنٌ وإني لَهُ لَساجدٌ مع الساجدين (12) ويغفرُ اللهُ للذين تابوا مِمَّن أغواهُمُ الإنسانُ ويبعثُ بمحمدٍ إذ كانَ للشيطانِ نصيراً إلى جهنّم وبئسَ المصير (13) وإذ قضى اللهُ أمراً فإنه أعلمُ بما يقضي وقضى وهو على كلِّ شيءٍ قدير.

[Source] - Sidenote: I only pasted this verse for you to see it straight from here, not that I actually believe this stupidity. Please do not misunderstand.

Not Another 'Blog About Bloggers' Post

Dun dun dun. Today is the day of the day of talking about the day you blog about bloggers that blog. Also known as "I am Blogging about my Favorite Blogger day", source. It would be '3eb' to let this day pass without joining everyone in their, erm, thing. So, I'm joining.

Now, naturally, the 'thing' is called Blog about your favorite Blogger, not bloggers. But, as everyone else has done, we break the rules so everyone can be happy and nobody is left out. And, I don't have one person in mind, I have quite alot, so that's another excuse to break the rules. Or, as a child would say, Kinzi and Nas have already broken them. Waah!

So, lets get on with this and have this finished. I'll say each person and what they're are nominated for. Anyway, behind door number one is...

-- 1. Bakkouz, Bakkouz - for his interesting posts.
I have always liked the content of Bakkouz's posts, he always puts posts that I enjoy reading, such as pictures from Google Earth or sound bombs.
Featured Post: The Devil Lives In Jordan!?

-- 2. Roba, And Far Away - for her creativity.
I have never seen anyone more creative in posts and photos than Roba. And I love her designs. Her posts are anywhere from talking about Jordan to a group of photos.
Featured Post: Another Urban Review

--3. Naseem, Black Iris - for his writing.
Nas is a great writer, he can write and write huge posts fit for magazines, and he is still quite frequent. I struggle to pick a suitable title.
Featured Post: Rock, Paper, Scissors, Eid

--4. Hani, HANI 101 - for his leap into the blogosphere.
I was surprised at how Hani began his blog with such huge power and fame. You'd expect visitors to a new blog come as a slope, Hani 101 was high at the beginning.
Featured Post: Falling off the Wagon

--5. Kinzi, My Treasure - for showing how blogging is for everyone.
Being a mother that blogs is a great achievement. I have begged my mother to blog so many times that I have given up. To find the time to write long, interesting posts is a goal achieved.
Featured Post: Squabbling Children

And to finish off, I would like to thank everyone else I left out.

Special thanks to my great uncle Bilal who brought me into the blogging world and always gave me tips in blogging. If only he blogged a bit more often. And I would like to thank the boy named Khaled Sharif, for writing the longest post yet in his blog.

You may now leave your comments. You're allowed to, you know.

Under the Weather

I left the bed after a three day battle with stomach virus. I am sorry for not feeding you with posts. I am sure you are all hungry, but things will change and food will come. Be optimistic!
side note: I haven't forgotten to nominate my favourite blogger and I will be writing about him/her tomorrow.

Healthy Falafel (Minus Motor Oil)

This recipe takes a BIT OF TIME, but it's a large quantity so it can be frozen in batches & used when needed or craved :-)

• 1 kilo dried chickpeas (soaked in plenty of water for 12 hours minimum)
• 1 bunch of fresh coriander
• 1 bunch of fresh parsley
• 1 onion (quartered)
• 1 tablespoon of cumin
• 1 tablespoon of dried coriander seeds

Drain the chickpeas well & whiz in a food processor in batches then put aside
Whiz the fresh coriander , parsley & onion until mixed well
Mix crushed chickpeas & green stuff well by hand then whiz again in the food processor
Mix one more time & put again the food processor until the mixture is smooth & even in colour
Add spices & mix well
Divide in freezer bags & freeze
When needed, thaw for 2 hours, add desired amount of salt & 1/4 teaspoon of baking Soda & mix well. Leave for 15 minutes then shape into balls & deep fry in HOT vegetable oil

I'm Only Asking For An Hour

The worldwide launch of the latest Harry Potter is provoking religious controversy in Israel.

Bookstores will be opening on the Sabbath, the Jewish holy day, to sell the final instalment to eager fans.

Most shops are normally closed for trade on the Sabbath, which runs from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday.

Religious politicians are accusing the bookstores of putting profits ahead of religious sensitivities for agreeing to open their shops.

The Israeli Industry and Trade Minister, Eli Yishai, has threatened to fine any store that opens on Saturday.

Israeli law forbids businesses to force their employees to work on the Sabbath.

Forget the main topic, it is irrelevant. See the part where it says about fines and politics.

It is quite sad to see how Israel works very hard to put its religion into order. Sabbath is a day in which all shops must close, due to the day's religious meanings of "the day of rest". They take religious matters like these seriously. Punishments are put for those who force workers to work on Sabbath.

"The Sabbath (or Sabbat) is a weekly day of rest and/or worship that is observed in the Judeo-Christian faiths. The term derives from the Hebrew shavat, "(to) rest". It originates from the biblical account of the last day of creation, and was repeated as part of the Ten Commandments. A number of other religions have a similar practice, and the term has also been imported into secular usage."

Switch to the Arab view. The only time in the whole week that you are not allowed to trade is the hour of prayer on Friday. This is a law in Islam, not a law by the country of Jordan. Nothing puts this law into place even though Jordan is an Islamic country. And even if this law was taken into force, you would see policemen bribed, shops "half-open", people "not-really-working"...

Its only a hour!

Your Latest Murder From The UK

The UK is begining to become a very scary place for young people. I remember when I was in London, I couldn't leave the house by myself. The streets weren't safe, and if you wanted to go to the local cornershop, you'd have to go with your parents. And the cornershops are another story - they are littered with school skippers, their heads covered with hoods and thier blood full of drugs and smoke. And your latest murder...

Murder squad detectives have revealed that a 16-year-old boy killed in a South Yorkshire playground had been shot in the head.

The boy's body was found at a recreation area on Nottingham Cliff in the Burngreave area of Sheffield on Wednesday night.

The city's police commander Ch Supt Jon House said the victim was from a "respectable local family".

Armed officers were patrolling the scene close to Andover Street.

Detectives are considering whether the shooting was linked to another gun incident in the city within the past 24 hours. Mr House refused to be drawn on any further details of the second gun incident.

The Amman Minucipality Has A Blog

The blog is in Arabic, and is hosted by Jeeran. See it here.

Shadows Make Beautiful Effects

Organization: A Word That Changes Many Things

or·gan·i·za·tion (noun): the act or process of organizing.

Organization can change a persons life in many, many ways. From many people's perspectives, organization is a need. If one has organization, he thrives. If he does not, he falls.

Why is organization a need? Well, if for example, a person has an appointment with a doctor. An important appointment needs attention, but the poor man has no organization, no priorities. He writes it on his hand, and when he goes back home, he decides to have a shower. Theres your appointment gone.

But what about too much organization? Is this possible? My dads life is plotted by a calender. He has just about all his activites he has done or will do plotted on his calender. Everything from eating breakfast to catching a flight is on there. Is this really too much organization, or is this the way organization should be defined?

So how is this compared to a normal person? And how is a normal person compared to a person that has no organization?

The Mask Is Lifted, Meet Khaled Sharif

(I'm the guy on the left)

I Declare Holy Jihad As Well

On spam that is. These comments keep coming from "advertisers" in wierd languages unrecognisable in Google Translate. This is the first time I deal with spam, I do not know what to do.

Ideas, anyone?

The Repetition In Eid

Don't you all notice that we repeat the exact same cycle all the time (except on very few occasions)?

You Come To Visit Them

Ring bell a million times before they open. Wonder which men's hands you must shake first and which women you are allowed to shake hands with. Sit down, yawn and feel bored. Refuse the horrible "coffee" they serve you. Feel bored again. Try and eat the rock solid ma3moul covered in mountains of grounded sugar. Feel bored once more. Help yourself to the chocolates as you leave the house. Repeat.

They Come To Visit You

Answer the door. Greet guests. Watch people talk about politics and market prices. Serve "coffee". Get told off for not holding cups in right hand. Hearing people talking about boring subjects again. Serve your personally made rock solid ma3moul. More talking, boring as usual. Hurry after guests with chocolates. Close the door. Repeat.

And While You're Enjoying Eid...

Eid Mubarak To You All

I hope you have used this month well, as it only comes once a year, and you may not be alive to see it again. I hope all your good deeds in this month will be waiting for you on the Day of Judgement, multiplied many times, and your bad deeds forgiven.

Eid mubarak to you all, whether it is tommorow or after that, and remember to be easy on the ma3moul. Even if it is from Zalatimo.

Ramadan In Photos

Night Of Fate (Ulqadir)

I have just woken up at 3 PM, I have slept from 6 this morning. Our mosque actually was really good at making a schedule for the night, and it sticked to it as well.

The night started with the usual ishaa2 then taraweeh. I prayed four rukaa2 taraweeh then ran off to the nearby falafel shop, to watch Bab il-Hara 2. But as it got too crowded, I had to wait for the break and then run to our house to continue watching. Luckily our house is quite close and I got there just before the adverts finished.

I found the house full of babies. About 5 babies were inside and it seemed my mum had offered to do the babysitting for all my aunties. So I had to continue watching Bad il-Hara while hearing screams of Leen and putting the always-awake Nadeen to sleep.

I ran back and continued a few rukaa3 of taraweeh so the total would become 8. After that I went to the falafel shop, which was now empty, to drink a bit of Pepsi to keep awake. I drank a bit too much and felt sick, but at least that kept me awake for a few hours.

And then I got terribly sleepy, and by the end of sohoor (which was horribly dry), I went back home to have my real suhoor and then went to sleep, waking up at 3PM. So, now that I have told you my night, what did you do in yours?

11 Year Old In 110mph Police Chase

An 11-year-old boy and his parents have been arrested after he fled Louisiana police in a car chase at speeds of more than 100mph (160km/h), it is reported.

The child's mother and father have been accused of letting him drive for about six months, the Associated Press said.

The pursuit began when a patrol car spotted the boy's car speeding on Interstate 310 near New Orleans.

Police gave chase but the car sped away, only stopping at a Burger King restaurant where his mother worked.

The boy had been driving home from a hospital where he had dropped off his disabled father for an appointment when the chase began, police told AP.

His parents have been charged with the improper supervision of a minor and allowing an unlicensed minor to drive - something authorities said had been going on for six months.

The boy was reportedly released to the custody of an aunt after being arrested for fleeing from an officer, reckless driving, speeding, passing on the shoulder, improper lane usage and having no driver's licence.

Source

Meet The 2 Year Old Devil

Meet Rawhi, my youngest brother, currently one year and a half old. He was born on a Wednesday, we woke up and found a letter stuck on the television, saying that my mum went to hospital and that we didn't need to go to school today. A few hours later, my mother came and along came with her Rawhi, wrapped in a blue blanket. He was good for a few months, until he reached the age of walking.

Now Rawhi is in the evil age. He loves adventuring in forbidden places, like the bathroom toilet or the guestroom. Leave him there for a few minutes and you'll find the place like a bomb zone. He is usually told off a few times or shouted at, but he doesn't really seem to care. At lunch time, he insists that he eats by himself, but he usually starts mixing stuff together and ends up eating 'rice with vimto' soup.

Although he has destroyed half the house, he is loved by everyone and now know a camera and smiles this weird smile whenever you want to take a picture. Right now, he is chewing on a book and screaming. He hates all his toys, so he resorts to chewing on something valuable like a mobile or dangling from the top of the television.

P.S In the photo, he is sitting next to his cousin Leen at my aunt's house. He's pretending to be all nice and lovely. As soon as the camera stopped clicking, he returned to smacking poor Leen in the face!

An Excuse Worse Than Its Sin

Or "ﻋﺫر أقبح من ﺫنب" in arabic. :D

I got an email this morning - spam, as usual. I usually don't get spam (I keep my email top secret), but this one was some kind of newsletter for Mens Style. I had never signed up for this newsletter, not even any newsletter anyway. Except that this one let you to unsubscribe. I didn't know what was in store.

Just say "We don't want to unsubscribe you, we want to send you more spam", just say the truth. Don't blame your poor old system. But, what about me? I'll just adjust the filters in Thunderbird so they get deleted - much easier.

Sleeping During The Day

I tried to sleep this morning during the day. Bad mistake, I woke up feeling as bad as hell. For some reason, if you want to sleep during the day, you mustn't have the window closed. And the throbbing headaches and seas of sweat didn't stop until iftar. I won't be doing that again.

But is sleeping during the day actually doing you good, or is it actually harming you? Although it does pass time, studies have shown that there is a harmful side to taking naps. A study at Buffalo University shows that sleeping more than your recommended eight hours a day is bad for you. And not just that, it also increases ones chances of stroke!

If you sleep more than eight hours a night, snore or regularly are drowsy during the day, you may be at an increased risk of stroke, University at Buffalo researchers have found.
These results from the Western New York Stroke Screening Study, presented in Fort Lauderdale today at the American Stroke Association's 26th International Stroke Conference, showed that people who regularly slept more than eight hours a night had 9 percent more strokes than those who slept less.
Persons who regularly were sleepy during the day showed a 10 percent increase in stroke, compared to those who didn't experience daytime somnolence.

The study also showed that people who regularly feel sleepy during the day (ahem ahem), are also included in the risk. But at the same time, other studies show that lack of sleep is also bad for you, causing strokes and memory loss.

Sleep disorders are not just embarrassing to sufferers, but potentially life-threatening and experts believe that people are not receiving an accurate diagnosis in the UK.
Sleep disorders in turn cause excessive sleepiness, which affects about 6% of adults or 3.5 million people in the UK.
People with sleep apnoea and hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS), which cause people to wake up many times during the night, are at higher risk of developing an excessive sleepiness condition because they get fragmented, poor-quality sleep.
The condition is also associated with Parkinson's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis. Consequences of untreated OSAHS include strokes, mood problems, impotence and memory loss.

So, in your opinion, is it right to sleep during the day to pass time by, and if not, what should we spend our time doing?

[Sources: Science Blog, BBC News]