an exercise in futility

light

2007-07-23T20:53:00.000-04:00

I want to be so light
that you have to hold me tight
and never let go of me.
If you do, I will fly away
even if I want to stay.
I will be so sad
and will keep looking back
but the wind will blow me away
until I lose my way.

clown

2006-12-03T22:39:00.000-05:00

Narra again

2006-09-05T12:36:00.000-04:00

Now you must be thinking: isn't she adorable? she's like a little angel...

Well, think again!

These pictures are taken by Kagan Tuncay

dirty looks

2006-08-15T18:13:00.000-04:00

So ... you don't like me sneezing in your face and you keep following me with this object flashing light in my face! Weird humans!

Narra

2006-08-15T16:22:00.000-04:00

Narra likes to sleep on my neck and put her face in my face while purring loudly. And just in case that wasn't enough to prevent me from sleeping, she makes sure to knead on my neck, inserting her sharp claws in my skin.

Israeli aggression on Lebanon

2006-07-20T15:15:00.000-04:00

Please read this link from As-Safir Newspaper

a comic relief

2006-07-20T15:02:00.000-04:00

funny

Identity Card

2006-07-20T14:55:00.000-04:00

Write down!
I am an Arab
And my identity card number is fifty thousand
I have eight children
And the ninth will come after a summer
Will you be angry?

Write down!
I am an Arab
Employed with fellow workers at a quarry
I have eight children
I get them bread
Garments and books
from the rocks..
I do not supplicate charity at your doors
nor do I belittle myself at the footsteps of your chamber
so will you be angry?

Write down!
I am an Arab
I have a name without a title
Patient in a country
Where people are enraged
My roots
Were entrenched before the birth of time
And before the opening of the eras
Before the pines, and the olive trees
And before the grass grew

My father descends from the family of the plough
Not from a privileged class
And my grandfather was a farmer
Neither well-bred, nor well-born!
Teaches me the pride of the sun
Before teaching me how to read
And my house is like a watchman's hut
Made of branches and cane
Are you satisfied with my status?
I have a name without a title!

Write down!
I am an Arab
You have stolen the orchards of my ancestors
And the land which I cultivated
Along with my children
And you left nothing for us
Except for these rocks..
So will the State take them
as it has been said?!

Therefore!
Write down on the top of the first page:
I do not hate people
Nor do I encroach
But if I become hungry
The usurper's flesh will be my food
Beware …
Beware …
Of my hunger
And my anger!

© Mahmoud Darwish

Translation: Bashar Barghouti

The Law we live under, they don’t

2006-07-17T10:52:00.000-04:00

The Law we live under, they don’t
By Shadi Fadda, www.theheadlines.org

We are being taught that there exists something called the International Law. We’re told that the world we live in is civilized, enlightened, abides by the International Law, and Geneva Conventions. Sadly, all that we are being told is nothing more than a theory.

As we try to witness the International Law applied in various conflicts and issues, hardly do we see it applied on the Powers. Russia has done, and keeps on doing range of crimes on the Chechens; America has a long list of crimes latest two of which are Afghanistan and Iraq. It is the International Law that allows those Powers stand above it, through giving them the right to VETO any decision they don’t like, no matter of its legality.

Would they use these VETO only to cover their own crimes against humanity, but they do it to cover others’ too. Russia has used its VETO to cover the crimes by Serbs in Bosnia during the 1992-1995 War. On the hand, America is using its VETO for the last few decades covering the never ending crimes against humanity by Zionist entity on the Palestinian people at most, but its neighbors as well. It is also worth mentioning that USA is the one who stopped the UN from blaming Saddam Hussein in the 80s when he used chemicals against the Kurds, as he was then still serving US-interests.

The Zionist entity, claimed to be ‘State of Israel’ despite having no “legal borders, legal capital…,” is the one of the top criminals running above the law. Their crimes have never experienced any pause, since the day of their presence in Palestine.

Since the UN Resolution 181 which gave Israel right to exits on 55% of then Palestine (under British Occupation), under conditions of leaving the existing residents in the homes… and providing them with equal rights, Israel runs above their legal rights. They did not accept leaving the 44% of Palestine to Palestinians, but rather left them at first with 22% of it.

Since then, and until the end of the First Intifada, Israel refused admitting the presence of Palestinian people on their lands. During that Intifada, more than half a Million Palestinians had spent some time in Zionist detention, with treatment much worse than that of ‘Abu Ghreib’.

Lately it is the 2.2 Million Palestinian residents of West Bank living as detainees behind the Zionist Apartheid Wall. The Wall was declared illegal by International Court of Justice, but let us not forget that USA has the right to VETO and they love Israel and its policies.

Today, according to ISMi the villagers of ‘Isbat Tabib’ in the Qalqilya region will hold a demonstration against Israel's annexation barrier in the region. I ask you to search all the medias and ask yourselves, why no one mentions these peaceful actions by Palestinian civilians while covering only the acts of Palestinian armed-resistance groups.

The so-called Security Council has yesterday came up with nothing for solving the issue of Israeli attack on Lebanon. The debate highlighted divisions in the Council, with the United States standing alone in refusing to even caution restraint from Israel over its military offensives in both Lebanon and Gaza.ii

Is it something new? No. Just the preceding day did the US VETO another resolution that would have demanded Israel halt its military offensive in the Gaza Stripiii. The week preceding the U.S. VETO has experienced the death of 79 Palestiniansiv among them mostly children and women. Despite that, EU, US, UN, as well as Jordan and Egypt have called on Palestinians to free the soldier, while none of them said anything about Killing Palestinians and destroying the Gaza Strip (bridges, electric power, and water) and stopping the food from entering the Strip.

Just today, following the Israeli order for residents of town in south of Lebanon to leave their town in period of two hours, as they responded by leaving it, Jewish-State-Forces have attacked their car killing 23 among them 9 children burnt alive as Al-Jazeera TV just reported. Just a few days back, they murdered a Palestinian family in gaza killing mother Fatma, her daughter Farah, 2; her son Khaled, 1; Fatma's brother, Dr. Zakariya Ahmed; his daughter-in-law Shayma, who was nine months pregnant; and the 78-year-old grandmother.v

In each of the two, Palestinian Occupied Territories and Lebanon, the number of murdered civilians has become above 70 and injuries in hundreds, during the last seven days only. United States of America, the initiator of United Nations, has called for freeing the three War Detainees, members of Israeli Occupation Forces. USA does not give any attention to the non-Zionist victims. Anyways, given USA being a permanent member of UNSC, other people (today especially Palestinian and Lebanese) must accept the US VETO on our Human Rights.

Is killing the only murder the “State of Israel” commits constantly in Occupied Palestinian Territories? Negative, again. The illegal grab of land is continuous. The already existing Illegal Settlements, built in the Occupied Territories, are expanding. Just a few days ago did the Occupier order closure of 1000 shops and businesses in the old city area of the West Bank city of Hebron “Al-Khalil” along with the closure of more than 21 streetsvi. Closure’s main objective is to allow the expansion of Illegal Settlements in the Occupied Te Rritories surrounding Hebron.

All of the land grab Zionist history is due to be completed by the Apartheid Wall, which Jewish State kept on constructing despite the ICJ ruling, mostly thanks to green light given by US VETO which stopped the Apartheid Wall being talked about in the UNSC.

Even in the general assembly did the USA oppose the International Court of Justice being asked for its opinion about the Apartheid Wall inside the West Bank. How many choices were we left to fight for our legal rights? I see none. Despite Geneva Conventions giving us all options open, the armed and the peaceful option, it is the Single Imperial power on this planet, which changed the rules.

That is why all the activities against the illegal occupation, whether in Palestine or in Lebanon, is being related to as acts of Terror. When Terrorists attack the illegal occupier’s military position, kill and kidnap few, the “Israeli Defence Forces” respond by destroying the Electric Power, Schools, Bridges, and most of all killing Civilians “including Children”.

With presence of USA, I see no law that’d provide me with my legal rights. Considering the freedom of choice, the USA provides me with through their ‘official’ support to democracy; I choose the option of being a terrorist.

Qana

2006-07-16T18:18:00.000-04:00

Where will you flee
From the vengeance of anger?
In the chests of a whole nation
Mastering anger?
Where will you flee
With our imprisoned right
Where will you flee
From the curse of conscience?
It is the toy of fate! Escape is useless!
You, who have built your security,
With the blood of the children
You won't be able to wash away this disgrace
O oxeyes of death...
Civilization of destruction
Lebanon won't grant you peace of defeat!
You won't get anything from its land
Except suicide!
We all are the South
We all are revolutionaries
And we all are the borders
And our blood is the barrier!
So listen!
You and the great powers behind you:
We're a nation no longer afraid of destruction
Death for us is just another part of the day
So listen!
We're a people carrying martyrdom medals
We die in our soil and announce sovereignty
We die in our ashes and proclaim rebirth.

Lyrics: Henry Zougheib
Music: Elie Shweiry

[this is translated from Arabic. I don't know who is the translator]

"Latin america's new coloniser"

2006-07-11T16:08:00.000-04:00

"In Latin America, the frontiers to soybean production are being pushed back aggressively in all directions at a breathtaking rate. Driven by export pressures and supported by government incentives, soybean fields are taking over forests and savannah in an unprecedented manner. The implications of the monoculture model and its supporting machinery for the environment, farmers and communities are discussed below."

Champions

2006-07-10T13:31:00.000-04:00

great players

2006-07-07T17:29:00.000-04:00

Azzurri prominent in All Star Team

football culture

2006-07-05T12:17:00.000-04:00

World Cup a big yawn in football-hating U.S.

I say:
U.S. football (soccer) a big yawn in the world

Side note:
yesterday, the ESPN commentator had to mention yet again that the US was the only team to score a goal against Italy. Hmmm... can somebody remind him that it was an Italian player that scored it accidentally?

Italy vs Australia

2006-06-27T11:37:00.000-04:00

Here it comes again all the nagging about Italy ... Everybody is talking about the controversial penalty kick.
Is anybody talking about the controversial red card that Materazzi got? Of course not.

Now if you ask the Italy haters or the Aussi fans, they will tell you it was obviously a bad call. In reality it's a tough decision. Neill claimed to "fall" in the penalty box and everybody believed him, but nobody believes that Grosso tripped over him. Well, there is only two possibilities:
1) there was a big lag of time, enough for Grosso to stop. In this case Neill should have had the time to stand up again, instead of taking his sweet time laying on the ground. Or
2) there wasn't enough time and thus Grosso wasn't acting when he tripped.

So please people, either stick with one story or just bug off!

On a side note: can somebody please tell the commentator at ESPN that the US are out of the tournament? In every single game he has to mention some similar foul in one of the 3 games US played.
The US team went back home, so please get over it!
As for ABC, it's a hopeless case; I guess a mute botton would be the best thing to do.

Italy kicking a**

2006-06-22T16:32:00.000-04:00

Isn't that beautiful?

zooroonee kollee sana marra

2006-06-15T14:12:00.000-04:00

Can you guys (I'm talking with my FRIENDS) write one comment at least? ...

like, "your blog sucks" or something.

3abroonee shway, yeh!

2006-06-09T15:34:00.000-04:00

The IU Police Department is investigating an incident in which the word "Terrorist" was written outside a student's dorm room. The student is of Middle Eastern descent, according to the reports.

" And the Slaughter Continues..."

2006-06-09T13:42:00.000-04:00

by Amal Amireh

"Prepare to Give Birth"

2006-06-09T11:26:00.000-04:00

Can the religious fanatics stop their obsession with fetuses already?

Some people tell you that they are against abortion because they are against destroying a life (Forget about the right of the woman to decide; her sole job is to breed anyway).
But I'm really wondering; when exactly is it considered a life? The moment the sperm fertilizes the egg cell? Why not even before?

I think that the sperm itself is a life and shouldn't be destroyed: Guys, no more masturbation!

picture

2006-06-09T10:59:00.000-04:00

This picture is taken by Teodora Tarandjieva in the San Francisco Zoo

I tried to take a lot of pictures of Giraffes and other animals in the San Diego Zoo, but I couldn't come up with something that nice. Thank you Teo.

Slavery

2006-06-04T14:13:00.000-04:00

Every now and then I hear/read about a demonstration/riot in Lebanon. I just hope that one day they would demonstrate against slavery.

Walaw! Zamtoulkon shee we7deh. Rafi3 3atab bass!

Another link in english

photo2

2006-05-28T17:30:00.000-04:00

Jbeil(Byblos), Lebanon

Here I edited the colors of the original picture

photo1

2006-05-25T20:25:00.000-04:00

I took this picture in the San Diego Zoo.
I'm not a photographer, but I would appreciate any criticism on my photo

picture

2006-05-24T00:26:00.000-04:00

This picture is taken by Kagan Tuncay (see Kagan's site under Photography Links)

It’s not really an easy task to choose a favorite photo out of the pictures on Kagan’s site since I do like almost all of them.

For some reason, this specific picture drew my attention today:

A narrow alley moving far away out of the picture, yet you see no living soul. Only a bike (the center of attention) is leaning against the wall in total isolation. The white and black picture enhances the feeling that you are looking at something from the distant past (a memory maybe?).
Everything is gone but this bike; it's still there waiting and waiting ... for what? ... and what happened to its owner?

But is everybody really gone? You still have all these openings and doorways leading to some unknown location, and you wonder, how many kinds of colors are concealed behind these walls?