THE SOARING SOUL

2008-11-16T20:49:00.001+02:00

SUNRISE NEVER FAILS

Upon the sadness of the sea
The sunset broods regretfully;
From the far spaces, slow
Withdraws the wistful afterglow.
So out of life the splendor dies,
So darken all the happy skies,
So gathers twilight cold and stern;
But overhead the planets burn.
And up the east another day
Shall chase the bitter dark away,
What though our eyes with tears be wet?
The sunrise never failed us yet.
The blush of dawn may yet restore
Our light and hope and joys once more.
Sad soul, take comfort, nor forget
That sunrise never failed us yet.

—Celia Thaxter

Beautiful Maadi Trees

2008-10-21T14:41:00.001+02:00

even though it's Fall time, Maadi's trees are still beautifully flowered (taken Oct, 19)

2008-09-17T07:46:00.003+02:00

I am = I was + I try something different

2008-08-10T23:56:00.003+03:00

THAT'S WHY

Why do bad writers
win the fight?

Why do good writers
die in need?

Because the writers
who can't write

are read by the readers

who can't read.

-Grooks-

SHADOWS OF EGYPT

2008-04-10T10:18:00.003+02:00

Canon EOS Rebel XSI

2008-02-28T10:26:00.007+02:00

The New Canon EOS Rebel XSI ...Infinite Possibilities: Powerful DIGIC III Image Processor, plus a new 12.2-megapixel CMOS Sensor and is available in a kit with the new EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens with Optical Image Stabilizer... Check it out at: Canon.com

WIRELESS MEMORIES ::

2008-01-21T13:54:00.000+02:00

(The card can automatically upload photos to the web)

To share photos quickly and easily a wireless camera is a must.

But for those people who do not want to invest in a new device help is at hand.

A company called Eye-Fi have developed a series of memory cards with built in wi-fi that automatically convert your camera into a wireless device.

The 2GB cards automatically connect to a wi-fi network and can dump photos to a folder on a PC or upload them to social networks or photo-sharing sites.

The firm has done deals with the likes of Flickr, Photobucket and Facebook.

The associated software takes care of log-ins and passwords and can even automatically resize pictures if the site requires it.

To send them to a computer the PC must be turned on and running the companies photo managing software.

Currently they are only available in the US but should be on sale in Europe later this year.

From : "http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7173582.stm"

Remote Disc!!!

2008-01-20T08:42:00.000+02:00

The remote disk is a revolution in the wireless technology, it's cheaply integrated into the new Apple Macbook Air

I'm yet not sure if it's a reliable feature to use, specially for installing software and if you have a huge CDs/DVDs library _just like me :)

But over all i see that it's such a new fabulous feature that will lead to an entirely full wireless world!!

Office 2008 for MAC ... i was waiting for it!!

2008-01-11T23:01:00.000+02:00

Done with Photoshop

2007-12-12T13:57:00.000+02:00

These digital paintings of a Chicago scenes unveiled at Photoshop World in Miami on March 22, 2006. I do believe that this is the Biggest Photoshop Project EVER...the details are so true.
Check this Link

(Click on the Images to Enlarge them)

The COOLEST Bird on the planet .... :)

2007-12-05T11:41:00.000+02:00

At first i didn't believe that this smiley face could be a real BIRD... but yeah believe it or not..IT IS, and it's called "The Bird of Paradise".

For those who don't believe ... check these links out (from the Documentary PLANET EARTH):

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lyxFCvDRELc

http://www.nature.org/earth/

My Dock Bar

2007-11-29T11:35:00.001+02:00

I've upgraded my system to Leopard a week ago and i'm really amazed by the new features that have been added to this system, however, i'm still not used to the new shortcuts that i can use with this system, specially with the Spaces feature.

anyways i just thought of sharing my stunning new DockBar! :)

I'm a LEOPARD

2007-11-26T09:30:00.001+02:00

Finally i've upgraded my mac system to "Leopard" (Mac OS 10.5) :-)
It's more than amazing, beyond the imagination, lots of features with a great design...the Spaces are amazing, the new network configuration system is more professional, the monitoring (sharing) option is so handy.

For all who use Macs, you should have to switch to leopard to taste the new luxurious system!

Why do we read Qur'an?

2007-11-22T19:57:00.000+02:00

This is a beautiful story of an Old American Muslim lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his Qur'an. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could. One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa! I try to read the Qur'an just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Qur'an do?"

The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied,"Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water. "The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You'll have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead. The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again. At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would Leak out before he got back to the house. The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, "See Grandpa, it's useless!"

"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket." The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out. "Son, that's what happens when you read the Qur'an. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be Changed, inside and out. That is the work of Allah in our lives."

Live Simple but not SIMPLER

2007-10-26T10:28:00.000+02:00

Nowadays anyone can easily notice the ignorance behavior of people, the unconsciousness of their being the careless reactions they make and when you try to wake them up from their never ending seem-to-be sleep, their reply always comes as this "Take it Easy" "Life is too short to bother yourself with anything" "Kabar demaghak" "Live simple live happy"....well i'm not objecting on that we have to live a simple life full of cheers and joyfulness...but what mind is all about, where is the truth that we are distinguished by having the ability to think, to talk, to argue and to have perspectives of thoughts. Live Simple but don't deactivate your mind and your nature as a human being ( We have to be different).

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. " - Albert Eistein

Time Machine - A great feature in Mac OS X Leopard

2007-10-22T11:26:00.001+02:00

This video shows how to use the new feature of MAC OSX Leopard and how powerful it is.

The whole Operating System stuns.

Cairo...

2007-10-22T09:51:00.000+02:00

I found this picture on DeviantArt website....i think it's a very nice drawing showing the Islamic side of Cairo. (click on the picture to enlarge it)

Wonderful World ~Zain Bhikha feat. Dawud Wharnsby Ali ~

2007-10-01T21:20:00.000+02:00

Lately i decided to download most of Zain Bhikha's songs, Zain is an Islamic singer form South Africa, he has a lovely voice masha ALLAH that easily touches the heart and the soul. While i was listening to his nice albums, one of the songs has stopped me, it's called "Wonderful World"...it's a great song about ALLAH....and what we should do as Muslims, what we should have faith in...I think that It's one of the nicest Islamic songs or "Nasheeds- as there's no Music playing" ever.

You can watch a clip for this nasheed on youtube:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=DcKbr9jdlXg

O what a wonderful world this would be
if we all open our eyes to see
He is all that we need right now
and we can all come together somewhere...somehow

His door is open no matter who you are
just take the first step, you'll see it's not so far
Down this road that holds all the answers
open you heart to something greater

His holy book speaks pure and true
and always tells us what we must do

His Last Prophet was sent as a guide
an example by which we abide

There is salvation for those who seek
to find the one and only source of peace
An understanding of why we are here
who created us, who we must fear

Such different people from different lands
were all descendants of the first man

We can be one nation facing one God
with no hatred, no envy, no war
Created equal are you and I
which of his favors can we ever deny

We may have everything or nothing at all
but our purpose lies with this call
To worship Him, to praise Him all day
onto the straight path, lets not go astray

He is the Greatest and Most Merciful
and everything acts upon his will

Like every sunrise that brings forth each day
brings new meaning, new hope, a new way
Such is the blessing bestowed upon us
every hardship and heartache will pass

From the mountains to the deep blue sea
everything in perfect harmony
and as the stars fill the evening sky
without us sensing, life is passing by

So if you want a solution, my friend
seize this moment, this day before it ends
turn to Him, don't you see it's so clear
believe in Allah, He's always near

Salt in the Coffee

2007-09-28T10:03:00.000+02:00

"a nice story has been sent to me"

He met her on a party. She was so outstanding, many guys chasing after her, while he so normal, nobody paid attention to him.

At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him, she was surprised, but due to being polite, she promised.

They sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything, she felt uncomfortable, she thought, please; let me go home.... suddenly he asked the waiter. "Would you please give me some salt? I'd like to put it in my coffee."

Everybody stared at him, so strange! His face turned red, but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it.

She asked him curiously; why you have this hobby? He replied: "when I was a little boy, I was living near the sea, I like playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood, think of my hometown, I miss my hometown so much, I miss my parents who are still living there".

While saying that tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched. That's his true feeling, from the bottom of his heart. A man who can tell out his homesickness, he must be a man who loves home, cares about home, has responsibility of home. Then she also started to speak, spoke about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family. That was a really nice talk, also a beautiful beginning of their story.

They continued to date. She found that actually he was a man who meets all her demands; he had tolerance, was kind hearted, warm, careful. He was such a good person but she almost missed him! Thanks to his salty coffee!

Then the story was just like every beautiful love story, the princess married to the prince, then they were living the happy life... And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, as she knew that's the way he liked it.

After 40 years, he passed away, left her a letter which said: "My dearest, please forgive me, forgive my whole life lie. This was the only lie I said to you---the salty coffee. Remember the first time we dated?

I was so nervous at that time, actually I wanted some sugar, but I said salt It was hard for me to change so I just went ahead. I never thought that could be the start of our communication! I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life, but I was too afraid to do that, as I have promised not to lie to you for anything..

Now I'm dying, I afraid of nothing so I tell you the truth: I don't like the salty coffee, what a strange bad taste... But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life! Since I knew you, I never feel sorry for anything I do for you. Having you with me is my biggest happiness for my whole life. If I can live for the second time, still want to know you and have you for my whole life, even though I have to drink the salty coffee again".

Her tears made the letter totally wet. Someday, someone asked her:

what's the taste of salty coffee?

It's sweet. She replied.

It feels no good....

2007-09-23T10:55:00.000+02:00

It feels no good to know that the place you used to live in khalas ... has gone "ethad".... this is where i used to live in Saudi Arabia- Riyadh and i felt like if someone very close to you has died ... i wanted to cry when i first saw the place like this.

This place used to be a very nice compound with a tennis court, swimming pool and many playgrounds....i have lots of memories from that place, lots of faces to remember that no one can ever take away from me.

(Check my old post about the same place)
http://myrasakr.blogspot.com/2006/12/haneenbut-what-to.html

21st September ~ the PEACE DAY!

2007-09-20T10:11:00.000+02:00

Tomorrow is the PEACE DAY, 21st of September... so i'm posting a link to a Video about the history of the peace day!

Learn about the history of Peace Day by watching this video from the Peace One Day website. (www.peaceoneday.org)

Strange Clock by ~Paolo Uccello~

2007-09-10T11:46:00.000+02:00

The Italian painter ~Paolo Uccello~ (1397-1475) was a leading figure in establishing the Renaissance in Florence. In 1443 He painted the figures on the clock of the Duomo. This Clock works by counting the hours after sunset until it arrives at the twenty fourth hour of the following day and the next setting of the sun; it also moves anticlockwise (as compared to modern clocks and watches).

This method of measuring time seems somewhat odd to us nowadays but it was perfectly normal for our predecessors. The hours, written in Roman numerals, start from the lower part of the clock face (from the 6 of modern clocks) and continue from left to right to 24; the head of a prophet can be seen painted on each corner of the face. An exceptional machine that was built in a period that was thriving with the ideas and inventions of human culture.

I'm very Excited

2007-08-11T22:11:00.001+03:00

Finally we got the Adobe Creative Suite 3 (CS3) at work, with an unlimited license, that means i'll have the mission of discovering the differences between it and the CS2. For sure the newest and the biggest thing related to that new package is that it contains the Macromedia Suite inside of it - beside the Adobe one.

The new suite comes with new attractive interface for all the software, and I've heard that the biggest difference is in Flash, cuz it has a new Action Script Language (AS3), and because I wasn't that strong with the (AS2) so i think this will be my biggest challenge with this new suite. And about Photoshop (my beloved software) CS3, it's almost the same in regardless of one new tool- which i don't consider as a real difference aslan.

I'm so excited about that as i always have the ambition of increasing my knowledge specially when it come to technology and new software :)

It has been a LONG TIME ....

2007-07-03T23:27:00.000+03:00

It's been a long time for me not posting to my blog....it's not that i don't want to, or that i'm lazy.... It's just that i'm very busy with tones of things; courses to take, others to give, movies to edit.... I stare at the computer's monitor for 17 hours daily....i'm not complaining as it's not that i hate to work or that i hate computers it's just that i'm overloaded with assignments and projects that have to get done accurately (with deadlines) ...
anyways i'll try to get myself blogging again....hopefully :)

Windows Vista did not steal ideas from Mac OS X!

2007-05-19T09:24:00.001+03:00

The New 7 Wonders of the World

2007-05-08T22:17:00.000+03:00

3 days ago, while i was surfing the Internet, I found that I'm completely out of the world's picture, as i knew that the world will celebrate having it's New 7 Wonders next July, this will take place on 07-07-07, and that the election process is on since September of 2006. So I decided to get in and vote for the most 7 wonders deserve to be (aal yaany will make a difference- but I like to take actions instead of being negative), and these are what I voted for... Angkor, Colosseum, Great Wall, Hagia Sophia, Machu Picchu, Petra and Taj Mahal.

The thing that really pissed me off is that when I was trying to vote for the Pyramids, I found it uncheckable as the New7Wonders Foundation designates the Pyramids of Giza. Therefore, I couldn't vote for the Pyramids of Giza as part of the New7Wonders campaign.

Anyways the 7 New Wonders of the World will now be chosen by the people across the globe from the 20 active New7Wonders candidates....so if you would like to vote go and and visit www.new7wonders.com

A Magical Fable About Following Your Dream--To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation--

2007-05-07T13:42:00.000+03:00

As i've had enough staring at computers monitors' all day long, doing projects, thinking about nothing but due dates...etc, i have decided to give myself some of those relaxing times having a good book to read in my hands. And finally, Here I am back again to read after a long pause lasted for almost a month....

My Book this time is fabulous, a really great fable, it's called "The Alchemist" by the Brazilian author "Paulo Coelho", This story, timeless and entertaining, exotic yet simple, breaks down the journey we all take to find the most meaningful treasures in our lives into steps that are at once natural and magical. It is about the faith, power, and courage we all have within us to pursue the intricate path of a Personal Legend, a path charted by the mysterious magnet of destiny but obscured by distractions.

Anyways here's an overview of the novel:

"Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy, has a dream about finding a treasure in the pyramids of Egypt. A gypsy woman and an old man claiming to be a mysterious king advise him to pursue it. "To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation," the old man tells him. "And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."

With the courage of an adventurer, Santiago sells his sheep and travels to Tangiers in Africa. After a thief steals his money, Santiago takes a job with a crystal merchant who unwittingly teaches Santiago important lessons for his long journey ahead. After working at the crystal shop for a year, Santiago earns enough money to cover his losses and return home. But then something unexpected happens. On a desert caravan, Santiago meets an intriguing Englishman. The Englishman's passion for knowledge and his relentless quest to uncover the secrets of alchemy inspire Santiago to pursue his own dream of finding the treasure. As the Englishman searches for the two hundred year old alchemist who resides in the desert oasis, Santiago falls in love with a young woman, Fatima. Exposed to the greatest and eternal alchemy of all–love–Santiago thinks he has found the treasure. But the greatest test of all is yet to come. With the help of the alchemist, Santiago completes the last leg of his journey–dangerous and infused with discoveries of the most profound kind–to find that the treasure he was looking for was waiting for him in the place where he least expected."

French Learning English

2007-04-11T13:32:00.001+02:00

This is my favorite part of the Pink Panther Movie...the whole movie is hilarious but when it comes to this part i laugh until i cry...just can't help it :D

The finest art EVER .... By an Iranian Artist

2007-04-08T16:45:00.000+02:00

Unfortunatley i don't know the artist's name, but i'm totally into her/his work
Click to enlarge >>

Tag

2007-04-08T14:16:00.000+02:00

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

"Ghandi" is the famous leader that resembles my personality.

Once upon a time...

2007-03-14T21:36:00.001+02:00

Once upon a time a very strong woodcutter asked for a job with a
timber merchant, and he got it. His salary was really good and so
were the working conditions. For that reason, the woodcutter was
determined to do his best.

His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was
supposed to fell the trees. The first day, the woodcutter brought
down 15 trees.
"Congratulations, " the boss said. "Carry on with your work!"
Highly motivated by the words of his boss, the woodcutter tried
harder the next day, but he only could bring 10 trees down. The
third day he tried even harder, but he was only able to bring down 7
trees. Day after day he was bringing lesser number of trees down.

"I must be losing my strength", the woodcutter thought. He went to
the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what
was going on.
"When was the last time you sharpened your axe?" the boss asked.
"Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy
trying to cut trees..."

That's right. Most of us NEVER update our skills. We think that
whatever we have learned is very much enough. But good is not good
when better is expected. Sharpening our skills from time to time is
the key to success.

LOST - John Locke - Speed Painting

2007-03-14T13:52:00.001+02:00

I thought i'm fairly good using Photoshop, but after i saw this video i realized that i know NOTHING about drawing using it...This Video is just FANTASTIC!

Eye Movement and Direction and How it Can Reveal the Truth or a Lie

2007-03-12T09:40:00.000+02:00

--------------------------------

Can the direction of a person's eyes reveal whether or not they are making a truthful statement? Short answer: sort of. But, it isn't as simple as some recent television shows or movies make it seem. In these shows a detective will deduce a person is being untruthful simply

because they looked to the left or right while making a statement.

In reality, it would be foolish to make such a snap judgment without further investigation... but the technique does have some merit. So, here it is... read, ponder and test it on your friends and family to see how reliable it is for yourself...

Visual Accessing Cues

The first time "Visual Accessing Cues" were discussed (at least to my knowledge), was by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in their book "Frogs into Princes: Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) " From their experiments this is what they found:

When asked a question a "normally organized" right-handed person looks (from your viewpoint, looking at them):

Up and to the Left

Indicates: Visually Constructed Images (Vc)

If you asked someone to "Imagine a purple buffalo", this would be the

direction their eyes moved in while thinking about the question as they "Visually Constructed" a purple buffalo in their mind.

Up and to the Right
Indicates: Visually Remembered Images (Vr)
If you asked someone to "What color was the first house you lived in?", this would be the direction their eyes moved in while thinking about the question as they "Visually Remembered" the color of their childhood home.

To the Left
Indicates: Auditory Constructed (Ac)
If you asked someone to "Try and create the

highest the sound of the pitch possible in your head", this would be the direction their eyes moved in while thinking about the question as they "Auditorily Constructed" this this sound that they have never heard of.

To the Right
Indicates: Auditory Remembered (Ar)
If you asked someone to "Remember what their

mother's voice sounds like ", this would be the direction their eyes moved in while thinking about the question as they "Auditorily Remembered " this sound.

Down and to the Left
Indicates: Feeling / Kinesthetic (F)
If you asked someone to "Can you remember the smell of a campfire? ", this would be the direction their eyes moved in while thinking about the question as they used recalled a smell, feeling, or taste.

Down and To the Right
Indicates: Internal Dialog (Ai)
This is the direction of someone eyes as they "talk to themselves".

The Gist of it...

How this information is used to detect lies:

Example: Let's say your child ask's you for a cookie, and you ask them "well, what did your mother say?" As they reply "Mom said... yes." they look to the left. This would indicate a made up answer as their eyes are showing a "constructed image or sound. Looking to the right would indicated a "remembered" voice or image, and thus would be telling the truth.

Final Notes:

*** Looking straight ahead or with eyes that are defocused/unmoving is also considered a sign of visual accessing.

*** A typical left-handed person would have the opposite meanings for their eye-directions.

*** As with other signs of lying, you should first establish and understand a persons base-behavior before concluding they are lying by the direction of their eyes.

*** Many critics believe the above is a bunch of bull***t. In my own experiments I have found these techniques to be more true than not. But, why not find out for yourself? Make up a list of questions that like the sample ones, and give them to your friends/family anyone who would be your guinea pig, observe their eye movements and record the results.

New Tag...

2007-03-09T14:17:00.000+02:00

Here i am tagged again, Thanks OmLuji!

SECTION 1 - Last 1s?
1. last beverage? Raspberry Tea
2. last phone call? Vivian
3. last instant message? Yasmeen
4. last cd played? Taking the Long Way by Dixie Chicks
5. last time you cried? Last Friday
6. last text message?Fadwa

Section 2 - 6 Have You Evers:
1. dated someone twice? what dated here means?
2. been cheated on? yup
3. kissed someone & regretted it? nope
4. lost someone special? yes
5. been depressed? yes
6. been drunk and threw up? nope, alhamdu lellah

Section 3 - List 3 Favourite Colors
1. White
2. Blue
3. Black

Section 4 - This month have you
1. Made a new friend? no
2. Fallen out of love? no, cuz i'm not in love aslan
3. Laughed until you cried? Yes, and it was last night
4. Met someone who changed your life? no
5. Found out who your true friends were? I already know, i think
6. Is there something you want to tell someone? yes
7. Would you kiss anyone on your top friends? a big NO
8. How many people on your top friends do you know in real life? all of them, that's why they are my top friends ;)
9. How many kids do you want to have? one or two
10. Do you have any pets? Now no, but I used to have 7 cats and a dog
11. Do you wanna change your name? No, i'm ok with it
12. What did you do for your last birthday? nothing, it was a heavy working day :(
13. What time did you wake up today? 10:30 am
14.What were you doing at midnight last night? watching a comedy movie
15. Name something you CANNOT wait for? tell someone something
16. Last time you saw your father? half an hour ago
17. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life? I need to be more patient
18.What are you listening to right now? Zain Bikha - Give thanks to ALLAH
19. Have you ever talked to Tom? don't know him aslan- who's he?
21. Have you ever talked about someone behind their back? yes, and i regret it
22.What’s the last piece of clothing you borrowed from anyone? a shoulder scarf
23. Who’s getting on your nerves right now? myself
24. Most visited webpage? apple.com
25. Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi
26. Have you kissed or been kissed by anyone in the past week? nope
27. Mac or PC? MAC - actually both i'm so into mac these days

iPhone...(2)

2007-03-08T10:15:00.001+02:00

I have posted before about the Apple's new brand phone "iPhone".
And later i saw an Ad about it, it's amazingly great! so much technology in it with only 500$, Fascinating!
It supposed to be released next June.

Can Money Buy Happiness?

2007-03-05T15:19:00.001+02:00

I do believe that each one has his own unique way of getting himself into happiness... nothing please all the people, so we can't assure if money buys happiness or not, unless we know what makes people happy.
For some, to live with luxurious = happiness, to have the up to date technology equipments = happiness....etc

For others, to be around people, to be wanted, to be loved and so forth = happiness.

And for me, happiness comes to me when I'm content deep inside (to feel that i'm near to ALLAH), having loving people around me and to be successful in whatever i'm doing, and all of these things have a far away relation with money.

Yet i can say that money buy a temporary and easy going happiness....

It's a question with no certain Answer!!

2007-03-05T14:58:00.000+02:00

Finally i found a Free Ware search Engine ...Horrraaayyy :)
http://www.deligio.com

BBC NEWS: Jesus Tomb Found: Do you Belive in that?

2007-03-05T09:47:00.000+02:00

Jesus Tomb Found, says film-maker:
( Read More http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6397373.stm)

A documentary claims this is the ossuary of Jesus Christ

Jesus had a son named Judah and was buried alongside Mary Magdalene, according to a new documentary by Hollywood film director James Cameron.

The film examines a tomb found near Jerusalem in 1980 which producers say belonged to Jesus and his family.

Speaking in New York, the Oscar-winning Titanic director said statistical tests and DNA analysis backed this view.

But Mr Cameron's claim has been attacked by archaeologists and theologians as unfounded.

Archaeologists said that the burial cave was probably that of a Jewish family with similar names to that of Jesus.

But Mr Cameron said the combination of names found on the tombs convinced him of their heritage.

Have you ever heard of him? --Andy Mckee--

2007-03-01T14:36:00.001+02:00

Andy Mckee (andymckee.com), he is one of today's finest new fingerstyle guitarists, Andy McKee is lauded by many critics and guitarists as the most promising fingerstyle guitarist to arrive on the scene in some time.
Actually i knew about him by chance, i was looking around in youtube for guitar playing videos, as i'm a guitar playing beginner, and i saw the video which i am posting now, it's for him playing a great piece of Music ...this piece is called "Drifting".

A Photo

2007-02-26T21:38:00.000+02:00

These days I have an extra project to work on, and an extra deadline, ahhh... It will take me two weeks to get it done, this project is to create a Slide Show out of photos that have been taken from all over the world during the past 2 - 3 years.
They are like thousands of photos that I'm going through to pick the most suitable ones for the Slide Show, Anyways while taking a snap look over the whole sets of photos, my eyes came over one of them for a child from the Himalayas, i don't know why but this photo has stuck in my head....

My Childhood Fears

2007-02-24T10:53:00.001+02:00

Since i was a kid and i have certain things i get frightened of, and I carried those fears deep inside my heart until the mean time, most of those fears are really childish and silly, but i don't know how to get rid of them .....anyways I'm trying to list them here:

Darkness >> i have to get a source of light.

The Sea >> i mean here swimming and traveling by ships.

Cockroaches >> Yuk, beside that they are so disgusting, i get frightened when i see them.

The Sunset >> it's very gloomy - for me- i love the sun rise better.

The Thunder >> since i was a kid, i used to see the thunder as it is the ANGER of GOD, and i used to go praying for GOD to forgive my sins, i know it's silly but till now the thunder brings fear to my heart.

Horror Movies >> i Hate them, i can't stand watching a horror movie at all, and if i did i keep having fears and thinking of it for a long time. Actually i can tell that there are several movies that stuck in my mind, from more than 15 years, and i always try to not remember them as they really frightened me.

My Poor Laptop...No No...Poor Me!

2007-02-22T13:40:00.000+02:00

last week two problems with my laptop have popped up, both are very Critical...

1- The First one is that the Power Cable has Gone :(, yeah it has been
totally damaged.

2- And the other one is that the Wireless Built-in Card's cable has been dis-attached from the board (fi had basesly fi el laptop dah!!!!)
Anyways, i usually don't get mad easily from such things, that i see they could be solved, i told myself it's not a big deal, i can get myself a new power cable (from Apple Egypt) and a wireless CISCO Aironet card- i've heard that it's so reliable( form Amazon.com, or anyone coming from the States can get it for me) so that was it, i immediately went surfing the Internet for the Cisco CArd and to ask for the Apple Store's Number to called them.

With having myself full of courage, i called the Apple Store, and have got shocked !! Yes, i have got totally shocked to find the power cable coasting 98$!!
And the other shock i got, when i went to Amazon to find the card coasting 110$... ah that's horrible, i have to pay like 1500 LE for these things, so that makes the dream of buying a Fire-Lite external Hard Disk too far!

At the beginning i was feeling bad for my laptop, now i feel bad for myself :(

2007-02-18T16:40:00.000+02:00

KUDZU

Kudzu living inside me

Eats lives and grows,
Tights me,
Holds me,
Hangs me on my body
It's living on craps
The craps of little me
The craps of the past
The illusion of the coming days
Eating my good memories
Being my bad ones
Can't see, listen or breath
How to be released
Kudzu is replacing my soul
It hurts though it's beautiful
It's concealed behind the perfection
No roots no destination, just spreading all over
Wild and rough, can't you see?
I want to run away of it, leaving it with myself to find another me

Don't be misled,

It's NOT me,

It's just KUDZU

A.H.M.A.D ~~ H.O.S.N.I

2007-02-15T13:42:00.000+02:00

I found this photography portfolio of the photographer Ahmad Hosni so Interesting.
He has 6 galleries each of a certain subject, he is so talented shooting portraits and close up shots and it seems that he loves Black and White Photography. Here are some of his work...

Five things you don't know about me

2007-02-11T14:14:00.001+02:00

I've been tagged by Nousha and Om_Luji for this list, and here it is:

1- I adore being around kids, seems that i like all the headache reasons ha? :D, but they really make me feel that I'm in heaven, no bad intentions, nothing but beautifulness and innocence.

2- I love Pets - i love the way they behave, act and move, i feel that they are a very spoiled creatures by nature.

3- I love traveling, wish i can keep on moving between countries to get cultural knowledge, i think that traveling helps people to worship ALLAH even more, as they can see miracles of GOD, differences of people, nature...etc

4- Can you keep a secret, I cry a lot, shhhh, and I hate that in me, I'm trying to be stronger and not to cry easily, but still can't help it, sometimes i feel that crying is from the soul purity (just convincing myself), but actually it's from weakness, and i don't like to feel weak :(

5- I don't like the sunset; it's so gloomy, i feel that the sky colors are so gloomy when the sun sets. Oppositely i adore the sunrise (ya ALLAH) how beautiful the sky is when it's turning lighter- it really amazes me.

The Tent

2007-02-10T22:54:00.000+02:00

This book is for young adults, but i did really like the flow of the scenes, it's so touchy and makes one to think about the truth of life and the aim of living, it helped me thinking about what truley i have to do with my mind and soul, i recommend this book to anyone who wants to find his/her lost soul, it might be lost from you but yet so close, anyways here is the summary:

In this book, a father is looking for a better life for his son, Steven. Corey, the father, is making minuim wage and cannot keep a job for extended periods of time. One day, Corey felt tired of living this way and begins to think of ways to make money. Finally, he remembers a friend he once had. Many years ago Corey's friend began teaching the gospel. However, he did it only for the money collected in the offering. Corey decides this is the way to become rich, so Corey buys a tent and sets off with Steven to preach the Lord's word. They go to many cities throughout Texas preaching and even at times faking miracles, until Corey one night when Corey decides to finally read the bible. He picks it up and begins to read, and to Steven's surprise by the next day he is a true believer. He admits his sins to his next congregation and decides to travel preaching the word for no money at all. This is a compelling story about a lost soul that found the Lord just in time.

The 50 Greatest Gadgets of the Past 50 Years

2007-02-04T16:07:00.000+02:00

Good Article, check it out !
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,123950-page,1/article.html

The thing that shocked me in this article is that Sony Walkman has been chosen to be the greatest gadget of the past 50 years!!>>>>>>>>>>>>

Sony Walkman TPS-L2 (1979)

Portable music players are so cheap and ubiquitous today that it's hard to remember when they were luxury items, widely coveted and often stolen. But when the blue and silver Walkman debuted in 1979, no one had ever seen anything quite like it. The $200 player virtually invented the concept of "personal electronics."

The first Walkman (also branded as the Stowaway, the Sound about, and the Freestyle before the current name stuck) featured a cassette player and the world's first lightweight headphones. Apparently fearful that consumers would consider the Walkman too antisocial, Sony built the first units with two headphone jacks so you could share music with a friend. The company later dropped this feature. Now, more than 25 years and some 330 million units later, nobody wonders why you're walking down the street with headphones on. Learn more in Sony's history of the Walkman. PCW photo by Rick Rizner; Walkman courtesy of Melissa Perenson.

Google Seawch Intewface :p

2007-02-01T11:32:00.000+02:00

Here is something funny I've bumped into, it's a must to try tip (LOL), it's about how to make Google look like your favorite cartoon character, Here's a "Stupid Google Tip".

Google's interface language can change to that of many peoples' favorite cartoon character, Elmer Fudd (The Rabbit Hunter in Loony Tunes). In case you need to look for "that wascally wabbit".

1. Access http://www.google.com/
2. Click on the "Wanguage Toows" ... err... "Language Tools" link.
3. Under "Use the Google Interface in Your Language", click "Elmer Fudd".

Uh-hah-hah-hah....Shhhhhhhh, be vewy vewy quiet; I'm hunting wabbits :p

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

2007-01-30T12:24:00.000+02:00

Last week it happened that I heard about "The Myers Briggs Personality Indicator", actually it was my first time ever to hear about it, and as I'm a curious person ☺, I decided to throw this test to define my personality type. The thing that I wasn't expecting is that this test is not offered for free, bas ala meen ☺, I kept on seeking till I found a website offers this test for free - http://www.kisa.ca/personality - (horraaayyy!!). But before telling what type I found myself in, I think I should tell about the Test/Indicator itself:

(Ehm ehm) Myers Briggs is a model of personality that identifies your personality preferences. The Myers Briggs model is based on four preferences (E or I, S or N, T or F and J or P), each letter stands for a certain personality preference, and you combine the preferences to give your personality type, eg: having preferences for E and S and T and J gives a personality type of ESTJ. There are 16 such personality types.

The four Preferences are:
1. Where, primarily, do you prefer to direct your energy?
If you prefer to direct your energy to deal with people, things, situations, or "the outer world", then your preference is for Extraversion"E".
If you prefer to direct your energy to deal with ideas, information, explanations or beliefs, or "the inner world", then your preference is for Introversion”I".

2. How do you prefer to process information?
If you prefer to deal with facts, what you know, to have clarity, or to describe what you see, then your preference is for Sensing"S".
If you prefer to deal with ideas, look into the unknown, to generate new possibilities or to anticipate what isn't obvious, then your preference is for Intuition"N".

3. How do you prefer to make decisions?
If you prefer to decide on the basis of objective logic, using an analytic and detached approach, then your preference is for Thinking"T".
If you prefer to decide using values and/or personal beliefs, on the basis of what you believe is important or what you or others care about, then your preference is for Feeling"F".

4. How do you prefer to organize your life?
If you prefer your life to be planned, stable and organized then your preference is for Judging (not to be confused with 'Judgmental', which is quite differen "J".
If you prefer to go with the flow, to maintain flexibility and respond to things as they arise, then your preference is for Perception"P".

And when you put these four letters together, you get your personality type code, and there are sixteen combinations:
ISTJ ISFJ INFJ INTJ
ISTP ISFP INFP INTP
ESTP ESFP ENFP ENTP
ESTJ ESFJ ENFJ ENTJ

Back again to which type I’m into, after finishing the Test- with a maximum honesty to get an accurate result- (http://www.kisa.ca/personality) I found that my Personality type code is ISFJ and here is what this code means:

Quiet, friendly, responsible, and conscientious. Committed and steady in meeting their obligations. Thorough, painstaking, and accurate. Loyal, considerate, notice and remember specifics about people who are important to them, concerned with how others feel. Strive to create an orderly and harmonious environment at work and at home.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers-Briggs_Type_Indicator
http://www.myersbriggs.org
http://www.kisa.ca/personality
http://www.knowyourtype.com/famous.html
http://typelogic.com/isfj.html

What kind of Photography?!

2007-01-28T11:03:00.000+02:00

2 days ago, i had a conversation with a person who is into Photography just like me (from the Egypt Photography Group), and it happened that he asked me this: "which type of Photography are you in?", in fact, i have never thought about that, as i'm a beginner, i used to go photography without asking myself what exactly i like to have shots for.
But when i reviewed what i usually take photos for, i found that the majority of them are for Natural scenes....yeah i found myself into Nature Photography (and sometimes Modern Architecture)!

And here is one of the most wonderful websites for the Nature Photography by Great Artist called "Kenneth Parker", this portfolio shows the greatness of landscape and Nature Photography...don't miss it...www.kennethparker.com

Another Wonderful resource for the Nature Photography is the "Out Door Photographer" Magazine
www.outdoorphotographer.com

And at last but definitely not least another great resource... the "North America Nature Photography Association" www.nanpa.org

Pilates

2007-01-25T09:10:00.002+02:00

These days I'm so interested in some kind of a sport, it's called The Pilates, it lies between Yoga and Aerobics. And it is a physical fitness system that was developed in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates.

The Pilates Method follows carefully laid-out principles based on a well-constructed philosophical and theoretical foundation. It is not merely a collection of exercises but a method, developed and refined over more than eighty years of use and observation. While Pilates draws from many diverse exercise styles, running the gamut from yoga to Greek ideals to Chinese acrobatics, there are certain inherent ruling principles that bring all these elements together under the Pilates name. These are the Pilates Principles: Mind over matter, Breathing, Centering, Concentration, Control, Precision and Fluidity. (to read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilates , www.pilates.com).

iPhone from Apple...Simply AMAZING!!!

2007-01-24T16:03:00.000+02:00

iPhone combines three products — a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls, and a breakthrough Internet communications device with desktop-class email, web browsing, maps, and searching — into one small and lightweight handheld device. iPhone also introduces an entirely new user interface based on a large multi-touch display and pioneering new software, letting you control everything with just your fingers. So it ushers in an era of software power and sophistication never before seen in a mobile device, completely redefining what you can do on a mobile phone. (from http://www.apple.com/iphone/)

Amazing, isn't it?!

2007-01-22T10:22:00.000+02:00

I found this Pic soooo meaningful, it really describes how can one keeps counting his boring days while being lonely...I'm sure that you might think that I'm so depressed so I'm posting this, But actually NO, I just liked the PIC!

Inventory Inventory Inventory Ahhhhhhh!

2007-01-22T09:11:00.000+02:00

"Inventory is a list of goods and materials held available in stock by a business". tayeb mashy this is totally understood, but i don't need to tell what inventory is, i just wanna express my feeling towards holding this annoying task,GIMME A BREAK!
I HATE to do inventories, goddammit, and why should i be doing them while we have a computer services department (yaany yeshtaghalo shwaia bel-feloos elly beyakhdoha :p)?! they are the ones who have to take care of these issues, cuz they have to keep track of every machine. bas betkalem fi meen, hena mafeesh tafahom khales, bas to be honest, making inventories is listed in our job description, so la mafar!
The other prob (beside going around to count the Equips.) is that the people- not all of them of course- give a very bad attitude to us (Inventory Guyz), sometimes they act like VIP ppl and we are just slaves for them.El inventory di bahdala, ahhh, i have pity on myself!
Anyways be back after counting the Tech. Equipments that are in use by 200 (gr8, n u know what gr8 means here) persons :(

Hases be-mosiba gaialy....ya latif ya latif

2007-01-18T18:25:00.000+02:00

I don't know why i have this feeling that there is something bad going to be happened - for me i mean :(...I'm frightend but yet in the pose of waiting and watching around- like shaweesh nos el leel :D

Maybe cuz I've loads of things to do (who knows?!)...serious stuff in fact (aal yaany el bent mohema awy :p)...bas really i have so many pending stuff that have to be done - at work and in my personal life as well...or maybe cuz there is nothing wants to go my way...for sure nothing happenes like one exactly wants (i know that so there is no need to tell me) but i have the feeling that these are not my days...

Anyways I'm waiting to see what will happen and hopefully I'll be safe and sound.

So pray for me (please!), ask about me (if you can!), cuz i need to feel that I'm being remembered!!

Yalla Rabena yestor, Be well~Peace~!

Smile Smile Smile :)

2007-01-17T13:40:00.000+02:00

Isn't it nice to be told that you are always "Smiling" and bring The Smile to the place you are in!....ahh that gives you a motivation to go on having a content mood and to keep on making people SMILE :)
Actually this is what I've been told today, and I'm so happy to know that people around me see this in me!

A.Coster, M.Thabet you are GREAT! :)

Have you ever got Phished ?

2007-01-16T14:34:00.000+02:00

"Phishing" It might look a strange word, It's definition in the dictionary is:
"phishing |ˈfi sh i ng | noun the activity of defrauding an online account holder of financial information by posing as a legitimate company : [as adj. ] phishing exercises in which criminals create replicas of commercial Web sites."

In Wikipedia you'll find this as a definition for the word Phishing:
"is a criminal activity using social engineering techniques. Phishers attempt to fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy person or business in an electronic communication. Phishing is typically carried out using email or an instant message, although phone contact has been used as well. Attempts to deal with the growing number of reported phishing incidents include legislation, user training, and technical measures."

For me I've suffered a lot from Phishers, I've got so many e-mails from Nigerian and Malaysian phishers who were asking me for some kind of bank transformation help with promising a percentage of the money, and some other times I got e-mails that congratulate me for winning a million dollars by random for my IP or e-mail address, and for sure they were asking for my bank account & credit card info. so they can send me the money, Even phones, yeah phishers are attacking the cellular phones as well, i knew so many ppl who have received SMSs with the same concept.
Anyways, as a helping tip, if you need it, now FireFox2 has the solution for that by having the phishing protection in the new version that has been released late last year, it's better than using a separate Anti-Phishing program, so try it if you really want to avoid these types of annoying and dangerous messages!

Luck :)

AA Rechargeable Batteries

2007-01-16T13:25:00.000+02:00

Have you ever seen this new rechargeable battery - the USBCELL.
This AA cell can be used in normal battery applications and can be recharged simply by plugging it into any USB port....isn't it GREAT !! USB is like a revolution these days!!

http://www.usbcell.com/

Plato the Greek !

2007-01-16T09:18:00.000+02:00

"Necessity, who is the mother of invention", I'm quite sure that everyone knows this Quote, it's by a Greek Philosopher called Plato. I'm not posting this to talk about him in details as a philosopher, i just want to share some of his quotes that i really feel that I'm touched with (as I'm so into his quotes and the way he was thinking with), and the most Quotes i like by him are:

"If women are expected to do the same work as men, we must teach them the same things."
"Only the dead have seen the end of war."
"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation."
“Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others.”
"A hero is born among a hundred, a wise man is found among a thousand, but an accomplished one might not be found even among a hundred thousand men."
"Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber."
"There are three classes of men; lovers of wisdom, lovers of honor, and lovers of gain."
"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something."
"Love is a serious mental disease."
"To love rightly is to love what is orderly and beautiful in an educated and disciplined way."

"The greatest wealth is to live content with little."

The Last Knit

2007-01-14T00:14:00.001+02:00

I'm so into 3D animations, actually I wish I can become an animator person one day, anyways the clip I'm posting now is one of my favorites, it's by a company called Anima Vitae Ltd(www.animavitae.fi), it's a Finnish company that has been established in year 2000 with 21 employees, and they are mainly making 3D short animation clips to be used in the commercial business.

Back to the clip I'm posting, it's called "THE LAST KNIT", It's the company's 1st short film and it has been produced in year 2005 by Laura Neuvonen, it was selected to compete for the prize of "best European animated short film". It's really nice and funny...enjoy it!

404 Error - File Not Found (Has it been named after a ROOM?!)

2007-01-13T18:00:00.000+02:00

I've heard about that the " HTTP 404 Error" has been named after a Room number so I decided to read about this issue to determine whether it's right or not, and here you are what I've read:

What's the "404 Error":
404 is an HTTP status code. Every time we visit a web page, our computers (the 'clients') are requesting data from a server using HTTP, or Hypertext Transfer Protocol and according to the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium), 404 Not Found is only supposed to be used in cases where the server cannot find the requested location and is unsure of its status.

What do 404 numbers mean?
A common myth holds that the error code was named after a room 404 in the CERN laboratories (The acronym originally stood, in French, for Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire - European Council for Nuclear Research), where the World Wide Web was invented. However, Tim Berners-Lee (the Director of the W3C) tells us:

" I can tell you that Room 404 is not on the fourth floor - the CERN office numbering system doesn't work like that - the first digit usually refers to the *building* number (ie. building 4), and the second two to the office number. But, strangely, there is no room "04" in building "4", the offices start at "410" and work upwards - don't ask me why. Sorry to disappoint you all, but there is no Room 404 in CERN - it simply doesn't exist, and certainly hasn't been preserved as "the place where the web began". In fact, there *is* a display about this, including a model of the first NeXT server, but the whole "Room 404" thing is just a myth."

The Real Meaning of the Numbers:
>The first 4 indicates a client error. The server is saying that you've done something wrong, such as misspell the URL or request a page which is no longer there.

>The middle 0 refers to a general syntax error. This could indicate a spelling mistake.

>The last 4 just indicates the specific error in the group of 40x, which also includes 400: Bad Request, 401: Unauthorized, etc...

So that's all, and there is no room wala ahzanoon :)

Egyptian Food Bank

2007-01-11T19:33:00.000+02:00

I don't know if any1 has heard about the Egyptian Food Bank or not, but for me I've heard about it last summer and actually I felt very bad to know that we, here in Egypt, are in need of such a thing.

إلى أي مدى ساءت أحوال مصر، أين هي مصر أرض الكنانة، أين هي مصر الأرض التي حباها الله سبحانه وتعالى بالنعم الوفيرة للأسف الناس محو ملامح هذه الأرض الطيبة .طبعا كل الناس ها تقول منهم لله الناس اياهم هما اللي وصلونا لكده، بس طب لحد امتى هانفضل نقول الكلام ده، اللي عايز حاجة المفروض يعمل لها، مش يقعد يشتم ويلعن وبس، المهم انا كل اللي مضايقني ان ربنا حبانا بنعم كتير بس للأسف مالناش نفس نحافظ عليها

قال تعالى : "و إذ قلتم يا موسى لن نصبر على طعام واحد فادع لنا ربك يخرج لنا مما تنبت الارض من بقلها و قثائها و فومها و عدسها و بصلها قال أتستبدلون الذي هو أدنى بالذي هو خير اهبطوا مصرا فإن لكم ما سألتم" سورة البقرة61‏

From the bank's site>>

•بنك الطعام هو حلقة الوصل بين من لديه القدرة على العطاء ومن هو في أمس الحاجة اليها لذا فإن البنك يحتاج الى تبرعاتكم حتى يتمكن المحتاج الحقيقي الذي يصعب الوصول اليه من الاستفادة من هذه التبرعات عن طريق إشباع أهم الإحتياجات الأساسية للإنسان وهى درء الجوع، ومن ثم يكون في حقيقة الأمر هذا الفقير المحتاج الغير قادر على العمل أو الكسب والذى يتضور جوعاً هو من يحتاج إليكم

•قد لا يمكنكم الشعور بالتأثير الدائم للإحساس بالجوع ولكن من المؤكد إنه يمكنكم الشعور بتأثير تبرعاتكم على طفل صغير بتخفيفكم لآلامه أو بوضعكم إبتسامة على وجهه بمساعدته على إيجاد قوت يومه

•لذا فإنه بتكاتفكم للقضاء على الجوع ليس فقط تطعمون من هو بأمس الحاجة للطعام ولكنكم تساهمون أيضاً فى تقليل معدل الجريمة و المساعدة فى خلق إنسان مفيد لنفسه و للمجتمع

Do you believe in Supermen's existence?!

2007-01-11T11:31:00.000+02:00

Do you believe in Supermen?!, I think that every girl is waiting for someone to be her superman and to tell her words like these:

""I can love you like no one can
I can be your superman
just take my hand let's fly away
I promise I'll be there everyday
just close your eyes let's start to fly
I'm gonna love you until I die
Until the day of my death to my very last breath

I'm gonna love you when no one's left""

Actually these wonderful words come from a song called Superman by Brown Boy

What is life? (2)

2007-01-10T16:05:00.001+02:00

Life is a gift. . . accept it

Life is an adventure. . . dare it
Life is a mystery. . . unfold it
Life is a game. . . play it
Life is a struggle. . . face it
Life is beauty. . . praise it
Life is a puzzle. . . solve it
Life is opportunity. . . take it
Life is sorrowful. . . experience it
Life is a song. . . sing it
Life is a goal. . . achieve it
Life is a mission. . . fulfill it

David McNally

Outlook on Life :: Dalai Lama

2007-01-10T16:02:00.001+02:00

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose don't lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three Rs: Respect for self, Respect for others and Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon. I also know that dreams really do come true and you have my Best Wishes and my best efforts in those.

St.Lucia Day

2007-01-09T11:13:00.000+02:00

Yesterday I received an e-mail from one of my Norwegian friends, he was telling me about Norway this winter and how did he spend the Christmas and what were his wishes for it and so on, but what really attracted me in his e-mail was some kind of a tradition or celebration of a Saint, that take place in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Bosnia and Croatia every year, and this celebration is mostly for young kids, it's so nice :-), and actually while I was reading about it I felt very proud of being Muslim, cuz we have so many great manners and traditions in it...anyways here is what he wrote me :
(For more >> St.Lucia Day )

"Anyway... Let me tell you about a tradition we have. On December 13 we celebrate this young girl (21 years old) named Lucia. She lived on a small island outside of Italy, and she was killed without reason, so she was made a saint. We celebrate her through Sankta Lucia on Dec. 13. Sankta Lucia is mostly for young kids. I used to celebrate it when I went to kindergarten and primary school. It's not the biggest day of celebration here, so not everybody take part in it. In general, kids in the kindergartens and those who go to primary school (maybe 7 to 12 years old), celebrate it in some way. Often, Sankta Lucia involves visiting old people in old people homes to give them lussekatter, which are a type of sweet pastry with raisins in
them. The kids also sing to the old people"

Thanks Erick :-)

COMIC LIFE....Mac OSX Tiger

2007-01-08T11:09:00.000+02:00

I was playing around with an application called "Comic Life", it comes by default with Mac OSX Tiger, it's not a new application but it hasn't been licensed for free before the release of this operating system version, It's quite fun to use and has so many features that can help in creating real Comics!!

So this was my test, using some pix I took for Cats...:p

Funny Things You See During Salat Al Jummah

2007-01-07T02:35:00.001+02:00

I love UMMAH FILMS so much, and i found this video sooo AMAZING! :-)
And YEAH IT HAPPENS!!

The People of the Cave!

2007-01-05T19:08:00.000+02:00

I'm done reading "The People of the Cave" by my favourite writer Tawfiq Al Hakim.
In writing "The People of the Cave" Al Hakim has taken for his subject matter the Qura'anic story of a group of Christians and their dog who sought refuge from pagan persecution in a cave, where they slept for there three hundred and nine years.
And then he took us into the argument of living and the real meaning of existence, the most thing i adored in this written play is how he dealt with the relation between Time, Life and Love, and that love sometimes stands still infront of having time as an obstacle, but at the end Al Hakim shows us that Love can defeat Time, and that Life cannot defeat Love by taking souls, Love remains till forever, "Love Hovers over the Mountains like a butterfly over Flowers!".
Anyways i like Al Hakim so much, and i've read so many of his conversational "plays" work, but this is the first time for me to read an into english translated work for him, and i have to admit that the translator Mahmoud El Lozy is more than great, he has done great job, he translated with keeping the meaning and senses in.

2007-01-04T18:04:00.000+02:00

I was Standing on a top of Heaven's Mountain

Soaring high in the sky
Dreaming into the world of my imagination

Just to be alone...without her
I wanted to run away, to find the escape
I wanted to abandon her
But i've failed....yea there is no way out to be away of her

Wherever i go ... she follows
Whatever i say ... she listens
She controls me
Whispers inside ( i can hear)
And i can't refuse doing what she tells
She knows my secrets
My deepest and darkest ones
I feel her pain, she does too

I fear of her
Why doesn't she leave
Why does she insist on being within me

Is she a part of me?!
Wouldn't she ever give up?!
Wouldn't she ever leave or let me leave?!

No, She wouldn't
She is me, and i'm her
I haven't chosen her, and she hasn't too
It's our destiny to be together

Me and Myself!

Happy...Happy...Happy everything

2007-01-01T09:30:00.000+02:00

Happy Eid!....Happy New Year!.....Merry Christmas!

Wipe up every sadness...Smile to the Bright Future

Wish U Gr8 Year!!

تلبية نداء الله لحجاج بيته الكريم

2006-12-28T21:28:00.000+02:00

تلبية الحج كما كان يلبي النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم

لبيك اللهم لبيك، لبيك لا شريك لك لبيك، إن الحمد والنعمة لك والملك ، لا شريك لك

عندما تكون وقفة عرفات موافقة ليوم جمعة ، فإن الحجة بسبعة أضعاف

Haneen....but what to?

2006-12-27T01:40:00.000+02:00

I've been feeling Haneen to something for a very long time, and I couldn't know what exactly do I miss, why this feeling is surrounding me, maybe I miss someone, maybe something or maybe a habit I used to do?!I just couldn't figure out...
Untill I found myself remembering faces & places I used to see, yeah 9 years of my life have poped up infront of my eyes, these were the 9 years I lived in Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Olaya Street...

(this is where i used to live, Olaya Street)

I Miss every face, evey place
I Miss every scent of perfumes coming out of the beauty shops
I Miss the scent of Aoud, Misk and Anbar
Those were my greatest days

(Olaya St., KFC & Jarrir Book store > Great outings!)

(Akkariah Mall> The greatest mall ever)

(King Khaled's AirPort)

See the marvelous side from KSA (Nice Pix for Saudi Arabia)
http://skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=299268&page=4

What's going on ?!

2006-12-25T15:10:00.000+02:00

Last week, my little brother (11 years old, Satta Ibtedae'y) came from school to tell us that he has to do a paper about (ATFAL EL SHAWARE'), and that he has to get it done and to hand it in to one of his teachers (i think the social studies one) before the end of this semester (which means that he has only one week to be finished with it). To be honest, i told him to forget about it and to concentrate only on his studies as he is having his mid-term exams soon, but he screamed at my face telling me "DO YOU WANT ME TO GET FAILD", sure I'm NOT, that's why i'm telling you to study well instead of wasting time on this useful-less paper, "But it's a must do paper and all of the students have to do it, not only in my school, but in all the schools under (Edaret El Maadi El Ta'aleemia)".

Actually what he said had driven me crazy cuz of several reasons:

1 What a weird topic to be chosen! (Atfal El Shaware'), i know that it's a real prob nowadays, but why now? what's the use of making a paper about it in the elementary level?, and how to get it done?, what could be the references for it?!

2 what the Educational ppl are thinking of? maybe raising the awareness of the strange phenomenon that we have now in Egypt, which is ATFAL EL SHAWARE' And AL TORBINI (i'm sure that you all have heard about his way of raping and killing kids- specially atfal el shaware').If so, i think that this awareness has to be delivered to parents not to KIDS...what's the point?!

3 what a killing timing they've chosen!! before the end the semester with one week!!

Death of a Salesman

2006-12-25T01:58:00.000+02:00

(Death of a Salesman) is what i'm reading now....it is a 1949 play, nearly the same age as my dad's :), its written by Arthur Miller and is considered a classic of American theater.
Viewed by many as a caustic attack on the American Dream of achieving wealth and success without regard for principle….more to be followed

What is life?

2006-12-22T20:52:00.000+02:00

--- Life ---

What is life?
I don’t know.
Life is just…life.
It starts, and it ends.
But what is it like?
It’s not like time. Time cannot be stopped. Life can.
Yet, it’s like a river. Rivers can be controlled. Life can be controlled.
So is life like a river? Nah.
It’s not like a river, and it’s not like time…
What is life? What is it like?
Well, I’d say…
Life is whatever you want it to be. Good or bad.
No one else can make you change how your life is except you.
The question now is…
What DO you want it to be?

by ~ProminenceFlare

Go Wiki-ing...

2006-12-22T18:20:00.000+02:00

What does Wiki mean?
>>Wiki is a type of Web site that allows the visitors themselves to easily add, remove, and otherwise edit and change some available content, sometimes without the need for registration. This ease of interaction and operation makes a wiki an effective tool for collaborative authoring.

Where can you start creating your own Wiki?
>>Create your own WIKI now with www.wikihow .com & www.pbwiki.com , you still can look for more :)

Wadi Degla Protectorate

2006-12-11T00:20:00.000+02:00

In Early Dec. 06, i went with my friends to "Wadi Degla Protectorate" for the first time (Thank you guys it has been an amazing outing), it has been really amazing to see a huge area of limestones all over the place for a very wide range of distance....Here you are some info. about this Natural protectorate:

>Date of Announcement : 1999
>Area : 60 km2
>Type : Desert lands protected area
>Distance from Cairo : 10 km

Wadi Degla is one of the important valleys which extend from east to west with a length of 30 km. It passes through the limestone rocks that had remained in the marine environment during the Eocene Epoch in the eastern desert (60 million years). Therefore, it is rich with fossils. The height of these rocks alongside the valley is around 50 m. A group of valleys flew into this valley. The valley has a group of animals including mammals like dear, taital, mountain rabits, red fox, feather tailed rat, oviparous, barbed rat, little tailed bat and others. Among the insects there are and many others. 18 species of reptiles have been recorded. The rain water dropping from the waterfalls affected the limestone rocks along the years and formed the so called canyon Degla, which resembles the Grand Canyon in the U.S.

Sheikh Imam

2006-12-08T02:35:00.000+02:00

I've never heard about "Al Sheikh Imam" till one of my friends told me about him (and i'm so thankful for that!), this man has a wonderful collection of songs, and most of them (or maybe all actually i'm not sure) are written by Ahmed Fouad Negm, these songs describe how life was going in the old days but the strange thing is these songs are like they were written for the days we are living now, they describe what exactly going on these days, although that i'm not a big fan of Ahmed Fouad Negm (cuz of a religion issue) but i can not deny that he has a very deep vision in everything he writes, and he has the ability of saying what all the people really feel deep inside and afraid to say loudly, he writes in slang the daily life language that anyone can understand, with the language that affects the soul and hits the thoughts directly, anyways i'll leave you reading one of Al Sheikh Imam's wonderful songs "Botikat"

بتكات -الشيخ إمام و أشعار أحمد فؤاد نجم

شبيك لبيك فتح مخك >> لبيك شبيك غمض عينك

حتقفّل مخك ح نطخك >> ونلوشك لو تفتح عينك

ركب قرنين تركب مازدا >> وتعيش سلطان في البرواز دا

مش عاجبك فالجبنه الفازده >> والعيش والفول والكرَّات

يا حلاوه الناوه كوا الناوه >> يا بلدنا يا آخر فتاكات

بوتيكات النات كوا النَّات >> وشقق مفروشه وعمولات

يا حلاوه الناوه كوا الناوه >> يا بلدنا يا آخر فتاكات

بوتيكات النات كوا النات

مين فيكوا ما يعرفش عليوه

شيّال المينا الكحيان >> في ثواني اتمول واتحول

بقي مسيو عليوه عليَّان

إزاي؟

ما هي بوظه ومفتوحه >> على حس ولاد المفضوحه

وأرانب صاحيه ومدبوحه >> تتأستك تبع البنوكات

يا حلاوه الناوه كوا الناوه >> يا بلدنا يا آخر فتكات

بوتيكات النات كوا النَّات

حتقول الفقرا ومشاكلهم >> دي مسائل عايزه التفانين

وأنا رأيي نحلها رباني >> ونموّت كل الجعانين

وبهذا ما حدش ح يجوع

لو نعلن هذا المشروع >> وح نقفل هذا الموضوع

نهائياً ونعيش في تبات

يا حلاوه الناوه كوا والناوه >> يا بلدنا يا آخر فتكات

بوتيكات النات كوا النات

>>>> Click here to listen & read more about Al Skeikh Imam or www.sawari.com/emam_main.shtml

World AIDS Day>> Do we have to put the ribbon on?

2006-12-01T20:29:00.000+02:00

World AIDS Day was originally organised by UNAIDS, who chose the theme after consultation with other organisations. However, in 2005 UNAIDS handed over responsibility for World AIDS Day to an independent organisation known as The World AIDS Campaign (WAC). The WAC’s slogan for their work is "Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise", which is an appeal to governments, policy makers and regional health authorities to ensure that they meet the many targets that have been set in the fight against HIV and AIDS. This campaign will run until 2010, with a related theme chosen for World AIDS Day each year............. read more

2006-11-12T21:19:00.000+02:00

-Beautifully Stated

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.
Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.

UN Millennium Project

2006-10-25T21:39:00.000+02:00

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are the world's time-bound and quantified targets for addressing extreme poverty in its many dimensions-income poverty, hunger, disease, lack of adequate shelter, and exclusion-while promoting gender equality, education, and environmental sustainability. They are also basic human rights-the rights of each person on the planet to health, education, shelter, and security.

In Egypt there was some kind of an activity to spread and widen the knowledge about these Goals, by having falokas (small boats) floating down the Nile from upper Egypt towards Cairo and Giza, passing through several governerates.

	Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Hunger and Poverty
	Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education
	Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
	Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality
	Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health
	Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases
	Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability
	Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development

The Picture of Dorian Gray

2006-08-08T22:32:00.000+03:00

Nowadays I'm living between the lines of Oscar Wilde's only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, the novel tells of a young man named Dorian Gray, the subject of a painting by artist Basil Hallward. Dorian is selected for his remarkable physical beauty, and Basil becomes strongly infatuated with Dorian, believing that his beauty is responsible for a new mode of art. Talking in Basil's garden, Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton, a friend of Basil's, and becomes enthralled by Lord Henry's world view. Espousing a new kind of hedonism, Lord Henry suggests that the only thing worth pursuing in life is beauty, and the fulfillment of the senses. Realising that one day his beauty will fade, Dorian cries out, wishing that the portrait Basil has painted of him would age rather than himself. Dorian's wish is fulfilled, subsequently plunging him into a sequence of debauched acts. The portrait serves as a reminder of the effect each act has upon his soul, each sin being displayed as a new sign of aging on the portrait.

~~THE SOARING SOUL~~