August 13th is left handed day?

Today, I've just learned, is the 11th annual Left-Hander's Day. Sound's pretty bizzare to me. Why would there be such a day? To torture left-handers more than they have been? Is this like those scissors they made for lefties?



left handed myths

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The backstory

I am Transient: part one…

As a journalist,
reporting on events and uncovering the truth as well as representing the voiceless were important ventures in my life.
I never new of the challenges I’d face in simply doing my job. Politics played a role in everything. Money controlled
everything. Gaining power meant more than human rights. Alliances meant more than human dignity. And I knew
journalism was dead. I gave it up, telling my publisher to “take this job and shove it.” From the pundits and the news for
hire to the corporate influence to the hidden foreign agendas one would be hard pressed to locate journalistic integrity.
All the rules were broken.

But just when I thought the situation was as dire as it could be
an event occurred that would highjack journalism and reshape it into something sophisticatedly evil. The 1992 Gulf war
ushered in a new era. Instant feedback of pics, stories and video meant everything had to be censored before the event.

The rise of technology is meant to serve us, yet it has derailed our thoughts and sedated our logic.

And then it got worse.
The events of 9/11 and the subsequent fear pedaling altered reality further.

In the post 9/11 era
it is important to represent yourself and your own voice since as I believe 9/11 was the final nail in journalism’s coffin. Our
voice has been mutilated and everything from our culture to our history to our image and the very words that come from
our mouths had been altered.

Not sure when
but in terms of my blogging experience and those around me, the 2006 war on Lebanon launched many bloggers and
many more readers. It was a treasure of information, counter opinion and visual evidence. The Arab Blogoshpeare did
wonders to lift spirits that had given up hope of truth’s survival.

My first blog
After the loss of my younger brother I gave up writing. After his burial, as I returned to the US, the war started. The
frustration with traditional media, the need to vent and the need for an outlet of emotion led me to my first blog. At first, I
blogged about the war by recounting my relatives’ experiences, then followed with stats about the war, artwork and
various political statements. I settled in after the war with everything from politics to poetry. I began to notice other
bloggers doing the same; it was at that point that I realized the real worth of an Arab on-line presence.

The Arab voice could be heard
in a crisp, concise manner. The beauty of it all is that I learned more about Arab dynamic and the complexity and diversity of what is an Arab than any TV show or book I’ve read or from the limited experiences of a hyphenated soul stuck in transit. I was sure many non-arabs were getting the same lessons. The interactions of people online seemed honest and stripped of the political correctness that conceals the stabbing knife.

Now the rise of technology serves us as it was meant to do.
The advent of cheaper technology and it’s ubiquity assured that you can’t censor or silent everyone. Since anyone could
send video to millions of people to witness events for them selves to combat reports to the contrary, everyone with a
camcorder or a digital camera or a blog or even just an email address could act as a reporter.

Sites I frequent vary from the hard-core political to artists to peacenik philosophers to Arab sites that can not be categorized. They all have their time and value in making the Arab Blogosphere instrumental in regaining our stolen voice. Perhaps there is hope after all.

"No End In Sight"

An insiders film about the war on Iraq and the military planning, preparation and preparedness, in theatres July 27th.



http://www.noendinsightmovie.com/

Not that anything will change, but...

check out this report from the ADC on Israel's war crimes from last year's war on Lebanon. http://www.adc.org/PDF/Lebrep.pdf



It's been a year, people are already expecting the sequel.

five ramblings of a textured stone

As the wind swiftly crashed the tent around me leaving my flesh exposed to piercing droplets of acidic rain, I woke stumbling a lethargic grog trying to catch up to the half-spent night. I always lament the incomplete dream halted by necessitated waking hours not longing for longer sleep, but an urge to see a vision through that hints a path of my future battles is turned away.

I walk. As though not accustomed to limbs carrying this burdening weight, I stagger my pace into tree limbs for stability. Losing control is not as devastating as I had once feared.

The fear comes in exciting doses of shifting concerns rushing in increasing intervals till time mashes all to one overwhelming isolation. The laboring rain is gone. Even the trees are gone.

I’m left to roam a parched earth weary of my steps. I can not float. Perhaps the vision is meant to abandon. As a child I witnessed my impending doom. This was a vision I could grasp. As an adult the vision alarms into an aim broader with me surviving for moments longer to serve. I remain idle.

As the wind reshapes my forgotten face into guiltless smirks that keep suspicious strangers from attacking, I seek coyly a silent cave trying to pray a solution, waiting for sleep to recapture a wondering mind urging a vision complete.

Sans Islam?

So Yusuf Islam continues on his comeback to pop culture with a new album "An Other Cup" (first in 28yrs, released last year) and by performing during Live Earth Concert at Hamburg. Leading up to the concert Fox News ran a special attacking Islam, portraying the man as a terrorist, a US hater and claimed that he is on a "watch" list and "no fly" list. He is not on any list. Why is the man with numerous peace awards being attacked so much? and are these attacks influential enough to have his stage name shortened to just Yusuf? He has been misquoted and bullied into making comments he does not support. Regardless of what the West makes him out to be, his music is classic. Just listen to Peace Train. PBS aired a documentary that clears the air and calls any allegations against him comical. Good program, but I can't find it anywhere. (if you know of it let me know).

Well, I'm certain there is a lot that could be made about him, his music, his life and statements, I don't think hes' a "great" man but a good man and deserving of some peace like the rest of us, but forget all that and listen to his music, it's less stressful.

4th of July in Dearborn...do you still miss it?

sure this looks like a professional display of some 4th of July fireworks in a large park somewhere

but this is in my neighborhood! The entire neighborhood was lit up by kids firing their extensive stash. The streets filled with empty shells and the air was smokey for hours. I can still hear them going off at 1:38 in the morning. I also saw the Dearborn police patrolling with no action taken, perhaps they were happy with the display of patriotism.

Get off of my Cloud!

“If left to their own means, the Lebanese would destroy Lebanon,” said Hilal Khashan, professor of political sciences at the American University of Beirut. But “There is an international decision that Lebanon be maintained.”

I wonder who's paying this guy.

If Lebanon would be left to the Lebanese, it would be heaven on Earth.
The problem with Arab nations is not the people, it is with all the people who want to run each nation, or destroy it, or create a "civil war" or instill a dictator.

If each Arab nation would be left for the people, the people would be happy and more importantly, Alive.

Lebanon's leading Chirstian, Sunni and Shiite clergy all said pretty much the same thing, all of Lebanon's sects want, can and will live together in peace and harmony, if not for all this outside agitation by powers looking out for their personal gain, where Lebanon is a proving ground, a test facility, a target, a battle ground to settle old scores, a lamb sacrificed for a glutinous gorge by perverted tastes. of course most of this could not happen without a couple of crackheads who are in government selling their constituancy and power for a chance to party with condi.

I've heard every theory and every excuse and every blame, but hell...just leave Lebanon the hell alone, they'll fend for themselves and they'll thrive in peace.

Anyone who thinks otherwise is being paid to think so.