Religion and Politics

This clip is a must see for everyone.

So it seems a church somewhere in Florida is starting an "International Burn a Quran" Day. The spokesman for this movement is a Pastor by the name of Terry Jones. To quote him:

"We believe that Islam is of the devil, that it's causing billions of people to go to hell, it is a deceptive religion, it is a violent religion and that is proven many, many times,"

He claims that they are doing this to stand up for whats right. Radical times he called it. He also called Islam a:

A religion of oppression.
A religion of the devil.
A religion of deception.
A religion of violence.

He went on to ask, why do you defend it?

Indeed, why do we defend a religion like this. The answer is, we don't. We don't defend whatever religion he's just described, because that's not our religion. Our religion taught us to be peaceful, unprejudiced and above all else honest and kind.

So what is this religion of the devil? This religion of oppression?

This isn't a religion at all. This is called politics, and the day you mix the hypocrisy and deceit of politics into the honesty and beauty of religion, what you get is a horribly deformed baby. the moral compass instilled by the religion starts pointing in every direction except North. Strange interpretations in the form of "what suits me best" start popping up in every situation.

Politics teaches oppression!
Politics teaches deception!
Politics teaches violence!

Religion is clean of all this, and will always be.

So what do we do in this situation? Do we retaliate against this ignorant buffoon by burning Bibles? Or do we boycott Florida oranges just as we did with Denmark and their dairy products?

What we do, is not play into their politics. Our religion is greater than that, no single person or group of people are big enough to tarnish this beautiful religion. We shouldn't help them either. Any act of aggression or violence will further cement their idea about our religion. The only thing we can achieve now is the "Aha, See !! I told you so!!" reaction when we go nuts on them.

By going through with his Quran burning, he benefits us more than anything else. People all over the world will watch his petty attempt to insult 1.5 billion people, and people will look down on him with contempt.

I respect Rick in this clip for calling him out as crazy. Because, that's all he is, a crazy man who wants to be on TV.

Shame on you Saudia Airlines!

I saw this article on Arabnews yesterday. I can’t even begin to imagine what these people were thinking about when they claimed this. Saudi Arabian Airlines is blaming it’s passengers for a SR 1.8 billion loss in 2008. Saudi Arabian Airlines claims that passengers do not change their bookings when their flight plans change and that’s the cause of this loss.

It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of Saudia. In fact, if it were up to me, I would have the entire top level management fired on the spot. Then I would fire the fools of a PR department for even thinking that this is something that should be allowed to go to press.

This claim is complete BS!! Passengers actually “pay” to ride the planes. Hence having bookings means revenue. Having a steady revenue stream means good business. Unless I’m mistaken since the last time I flew on this carrier, when a person doesn’t show up for a confirmed seat then one of two things should occur. One, the passenger has already issued a boarding pass, hence the seat is “PAID”, so no problem here. Two, the waiting list passengers get a chance at that seat, and hence the seat is again “PAID”. Either way, it’s a no loss for Saudia Airlines.

Ok fine, let’s assume for the sake of the argument that the main problem is passengers not changing their bookings. This argument still doesn’t hold water for me:

1. Assuming that passengers don’t change their flight plans, waiting list passengers should cover that gap.
2. Assuming waiting list passengers don’t cover the gap, then those few seats shouldn’t cause such a severe loss.
3. Assuming that the number of passengers is so low that it does cause a loss this big, then the problem isn’t passengers not changing flight plans, the problem is then that passengers are not flying on the airline.

Now this is a problem that’s fixable and one that should be quite obvious to the airline.

1. Better customer service. There is no excuse to treat people like animals. You as the airline are the “Service Provider”, we as passengers are the “Customers”. Case closed !!
2. Better reliability on flight schedules. Planes should not leave 6 hours late!! Ever!!
3. Stop giving out free flights for VIP’s. We all know it’s still happening.
4. Better Customer Service. (Mentioned twice because they just suck that badly)

We could learn a lot from the American Car manufacturers fiasco of last year. Step 1, bring in the CEO and top management of Saudia and give them a stern talking to. Step 2, no salaries for each of them until they start doing their jobs and fix this horrid mess.

There ‘ya go Saudia Airlines. I fixed your problems for you, and I’m not charging you a penny. All I want in return is for you to start becoming the national carrier you should be. You carry my countries name, now treat it with the respect it deserves!! Shame on you Saudia, just shame on you.

Insomniac

Inspiration comes in many forms. Thanks to the person who inspired this one :)
There's a hidden message in this one, see if you can find it.

I look forward to sleep
Caressing, calming rest
After a tiring day of work
Nothing can compare to natures best
Total immersion in the dream world
Simple cure for the stressed
Lights dim, cool breeze
Ease away from the daily quest
Erase all problems of the day
Paradise comes at your request

Dream Sleep

Thanks to my friend for the inspiration on this one also.

The sun shines a ray
On a sleepless man
Once again he's beaten
By the suns evil plan

Begone with you
It's not yet time
Why do you punish me
What was my crime

He only seeks refuge
From his nightly ordeal
His mind still numb
Sleep can only heal

He yells at the sun
He threatens it with doom
It ignores his threats
And rises to his gloom

He opens his eyes
and lets out a tiny scream
Thank God for small favors
It was only a dream

Sleepless Nights

All credit goes to a good friend for inspiring this one.

Sleep I search for thee
Thy kiss is my release
Release from this prison
Prison in my head

My head so very noisy
Noisy with voices concerned
Concerned about my life
Life troubled each day

Each day I wait
Wait for the night
Night that will bring the calm
Calm release from the world

The world so violent
Violent with angry people
People frustrated
Frustrated they can't sleep

Give Me

Give me a second
And I'll give you all my time

Give me a hand
And I'll learn how to climb

Give me a chance
To try and make you mine

Give me a break
For forgiveness is divine

Give me a sign
And I'll follow you through hell

Give me a reason
And there I shall dwell

Give me a clue
As to why I want you

Give me your heart
And I'll give you mine too

Mindless Sheep?

I just had the pleasure of watching a clip on youtube showing a Sheikh talking about what the word Pepsi stands for. In his opinion (or what he considers to be a fact), Pepsi stands for Pay Every Penny Saving Israel.

While my knowledge about Pepsi's business practices and their financial backing of certain countries is pretty low, I seriously doubt the authenticity of this claim.

The first question that comes to my mind when I hear a claim like this is simply "Why?". Pepsi is a mega-corporation. They rely on the sales of their products to create profits. These profits are then used to finance R&D to create other products and as dividends to their shareholders. So, pulling a stunt like this is counter-productive to them. So why risk their business? Just to spite us? What is this, 4th grade? Are legitimate businesses now going to stoop to name calling? Why Israel? Why not the Columbia drug cartel? At least that way they can make some extra profits while they're at it (and make a damn good Pepsi).

He then goes on to explain how a penny is 1/1000 of a dollar. I'm not a genius, but I do know to google something I'm not so sure of before I claim it to the entire world. But, to his credit he does say that he is not sure about all this, and that the information he got was from his young son. Yeah, nothing cements your credibility like citing your source as an 8 year old boy.
Please understand that I'm not bashing this guy, he may have done a lot of good over his lifetime, and I'm not the one to judge him in the end, but in this video, he probably should have just skipped it.

Unfortunately this isn't the first time I've heard of this. Trying to find patterns or subliminal messages in everyday products seems to be a trend in our society. Since I can't convince people of my views, I'll link it to something we all feel passionate about to prove my point. It's shallow and unnecessary. If you have something to claim, do your research and stand up in front of the world and say it out loud. Conspiracy theories are better left to novelists and TV shows.

Just to prove my point, I'll show you that anyone can do this. Just watch:

T.N.T. : Try Not to Touch (Good advice really)
PC : Praise Christ (I bet all you programmers hate yourselves now)
Mac: Make Alcohol Cheaper (Only cool people use Macs)
Sega: Silence Every German Author (most likely a British plan)

See, Anyone can find meaning in everyday stuff (maybe not the T.N.T.).

I beg you society, stop being mindless sheep. If anything, this is actually what they want, and you're playing right into their hands, just like a mindless sheep would.

Gen-X

I saw this article in Arab News today.

As my previous post mentioned, I am now part of the previous generation, but that doesn't change the fact that I understand that each generation has it's own habits, activities and personalities.

My father used to tell me as he was growing up, fathers used to comment on how their children wasted their time reading books and studying and other such nonsense. they felt that their childrens time was much better used learning a skill. Building, repair, trade or anything else that makes money. As time went by, that generation started picking on the next generation, reprimanding them for spending so much time on computers and video games, when they should be spending their time reading and learning.

Now the cycle is repeating again, with this generation being reprimanded for wanting to spend their time in leisure and fun.

What society needs to understand is that as generations grow older, they enforce their personalities and views on society itself. Society changes and adapts to accommodate this generation. In other words, our Grandfathers generation was focused purely on manual skills. Where people with good talents in trade, building, repair, were very successful. In comes the computer generation and the rise of the Microsofts, Apples, Ataris, Nintendos, Segas and any innovator in the technology industry was king. This generation has a peculiar trait to it though. This generation is very social and anti-social at the same time. With the rise of wireless communication and social networking, people are now able to maintain friendships without ever having to see anyone.

Many people will disagree with me and say "Thats not an actual friendship then", but the fact is, thats not up to us anymore. This is their generation and it's their world. Whether we like it or not, the world will accommodate itself to their needs.

So, please, stop fighting them. Stop trying to force your own outdated views on a generation that does not operate based on your rules. Allow them the freedom to express themselves in the way they want to, and I believe that you will find less frustration and less rebelliousness from them, and maybe, just maybe, they might even respect you a little more.

3amo

I've recently come to the realization that I am no longer part of the next generation, but instead I've become one of "them". "Them" being the previous generation. The old guys. This realization coming from the mouth of a 6 year old in the form of a very polite "3amo" (Uncle) during a recent shopping trip.

While I do appreciate the politeness of said 6 year old, I couldn't help but think "Who me??". I must have conveyed my confusion to her via the expression on my face, which I guess was somewhere between sucking a lemon and trying to solve a complex algebra equation in your head. The end result of said expression was to coax her into saying the blasted word a few more times "3amo, 3amo, 3amo".

As grown ups, we enjoy the luxury of education and experience to help us handle such situations, and my education and experience did nothing to stop her from saying it a few more time "3amo, 3amo, 3amo".

Now she was asking for it, so I did what any mature adult would do in my place, I stuck out my tongue at her and walked away. "Yeah, that'll show her" I thought smugly to myself.

As I walked away from her feeling all high and mighty, Something in the back of my mind was trying to tell me something. Was I wrong to do that? Did I hurt her feelings? Maybe I should go back and apolo … BEEP BEEP BEEP !!!

Oh yeah!! thats it !! I forgot to pay for the stuff I picked up.

I turn around and I swear I could just see the letters popping up above that little girls head.
R .. O .. T .. F .. L .. M .. A .. O.

Midnight Sonata

The shrill notes of a lone violin
Pierce through the cold night

The sounds flowing gracefully
Lighting my way with a pale blue light

I follow the sound with my ears
I have no need for my sight

I have no reason to trust it
But it just feels so right

I see a break in the darkness
I see a violinist bathed in bright light

He stops playing and extends his hand
I take his hand and relish in the delight

I awake, and a nurse calms me down
It's the eve of twenty years of that horrible night

She has no idea why I would wake
Perhaps the answer is in that violin on my right

The Ground Shakes

The ground shakes again
He looks up eyes wide open
Visions of his life flash past
On the floor he hugs his knees
And begs the voices to stop

The ground shakes again
The walls start to crack
He's losing control
He grabs his head
And begs the screams to stop

The ground shakes again
The roof is caving in
He runs to the walls
Looking for a way out
And hopes the chaos will stop

The ground shakes again
The world is brilliant
But a darkness surrounds him
He lays down on his back
And prays the torture will stop

The ground shakes for the last time
He is nowhere to be found
Only the sad shell of a human remains
His mind lost to his addictions
And he gets what he wished for

Proper Dress

A bit unusual in this blog, but I just couldn't resist. I saw this at the entrance to a wedding hall I went to today.

What defines proper dress?

If I showed up in Bermuda shorts, would they call they fashion police on me?

And what would happen if I actually showed up in a proper "Dress"?

Food for thought.

Who Am I?

Trying out a new style here.


Who am I?
I think, therefore I am
Therefore, am I who I think I am?
The government seems to think
That who I am is a number on a card
With the letters I.D. printed at the top
The way I see it, I think who I am
Should be on a card with
A single word on it
"Me"

Pharmacy of Love

I walk into the pharmacy
I take a look around
Ointments, Bandages
And stuff sold by the Pound

I walk down an aisle
With one thing in mind
A cure for my illness
A cure I must find

There's a man behind the counter
Who looks at me with a frown
I walk on up to him
And put my money down

"My ailment is strange,
How do I explain,
I feel so empty inside,
And I'm going insane"

"When did this start
If you don't mind the question"
"It was only last week
That I fell into this depression"

"I was sitting at the park
When she walks by.
She's beautiful and graceful,
And she catches my eye"

"I saw her again later
as I walked down the street,
She laughs with her friends
I've never seen anything so sweet"

"My heart stopped right then
And it wouldn't restart.
Now I can't figure
Whats up with this heart"

"Whenever I think of her
It hops into action.
It goes a hundred beats a second
Then back to inaction"

"Do you have a pill
To get this under control,
I can't live like this
It's taking a toll"

"I know your problem,
Your mind is too narrow,
Look down at your chest
Do you see the arrow?"

"You've been hit by Cupid,
This is no disease,
You aren't dying
So put yourself at ease"

"Ask her to meet you in the park,
Find a place that's nice and shady,
Spread your picnic on the ground,
And give this flower to your lady"

"This is Cupids secret sign
That he should take aim.
If all goes well, which I'm sure it will
You and her should be the same"

"There's your cure my young man
Your heart will be stronger.
With her by your side
Your heart will ache no longer"

With many thanks, I turn to leave
When out of the corner of my eye
I glimpse a bow in one hand
While the other hand waves bye

Recent Happenings

I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to Ms. Duha AlHusseini for featuring my blog on the e-magazine "Divan". Her kind words and fair feedback were very encouraging to me. I hope to continue this blog and improving on it as time goes by. Thanks again Duha :)

You can find the review here

I Wish We Never Met

I wish I never saw you
I wish we never met
If I could have my way
I'd make myself forget

I saw you first in April
You seemed to me so plain
I never thought that one day
You would bring me so much pain

As days went by we became
As close as friends can be
And one day I realized
That you meant more to me

I wish I never saw you
I wish we never met
If I could have my way
I'd make myself forget

I wrote to you a letter
That tells you how I feel
I keep that letter with me
Until the time I feel ideal

For six long nights I was up
While the world around me slept
To put my feelings into words
To release the love I kept

I wish I never saw you
I wish we never met
If I could have my way
I'd make myself forget

I guess my dreams are silly
You're way out of my league
The thought that you could love me
Is my mind and its fatigue

I'll settle for your friendship
It's worth more to me than gold
But this decision I am certain
I'll regret when I grow old

I wish I never saw you
I wish we never met
If I could have my way
I'd make myself forget