Lecture Musical

Start-Up Sound

Fantastic Iraq

Cat Fan

A cat gets stuck on a ceiling fan.

What Justice?

Miyati Torture: Justice Must Be Done
Roger Harrison, Arab News

JEDDAH, 27 March 2005 — In the interests of equity and the integrity of its position on human rights, it is time for the Saudi authorities to address with the utmost vigor the continued abuse of domestic workers in the Kingdom.

It happens; there are published cases and they cannot be hidden under a cloak of secrecy any longer as the gruesome photographic evidence of the tortured — no other word comes close — still living body of Nour Miyati recently pictured in this newspaper shows. The picture and the story brought shudders of disgust to, and expressions of sympathy from, civilized people.

Bound so tightly that gangrene developed in her limbs and beaten to the extent that her teeth were knocked out, the 25-year-old maid was locked in a bathroom for a month. Now she will probably lose her fingers and toes and possibly half of one foot. What sort of money or punishment can possibly compensate her? [Full Story]
Source: Arab News

Roger has got a pair for saying something so bold like this article.

The Office: US Renovated

Just saw the new NBC comedy "The Office (US)" starring Steve Carell (of the Daily Show). It's an exact remake of the BBC America "The Office (UK)", right from episode I. They didn't even bother to change the plot and petty gags from the original script. It's the same setup, a manager of a paper company with low intelligence and has no sense of humor, but however he is convinced that he is the best, the most entertaining and the most favorite boss of all times.

Steve Carell fits right into this show, but I can't say the same for the rest of the cast. The whole cast is acting like a bunch of British office workers, all quite and boring. Its like watching British office workers speaking in an American accents. Take this from someone who has worked in an American office environment. American office workers are loud and annoying, they just can't even keep their pie hole shut for a minute! And not to mention the superficial antidepressant induced smiles and laughs.

My Rant For Today

I don't do much work but, the very thought of important things that need to be done before a certain deadline really stresses me out. I've been stressed out a lot lately. Mostly worrying about school work that's due soon. I read in my psychology book that the brain has certain ways to fight stress like Hypersomnia and Sleep Apnea. Lately I've been feeling a lot tired. I sleep for 8 to 10 hours at a stretch. I can't breathe through my nose as good as I used to like a few weeks back. These symptoms are all too familiar.

Few years back, I had a full course load and a part-time job. My Hypersomnia got worse, I was sleeping 12 to 14 hours a day and my Sleep Apnea was so severe that I could hardly get any air through the nasal cavity. I snored so loud at night that sometimes it even woke me up. During those 6 to 10 months, my nights were horrible, deprived of sleep and all.

Today something very odd happened with respect to my behavior. I'm comfortable around the people I know. I joke and talk about whatever comes to mind, I'm a bit annoying in other words. Sometimes those who know me say something rude to get me off their backs and I say something smart and not-nice back and be on my way. But, if some stranger ever says something rude or makes an insensitive remark, I just walk away, sometimes even with this dumb smirk on my face that I can't help avoiding.

So, I was at the Student Center going about my academic related work, getting signatures and filling out forms etc. I had to make a couple of laps down it's corridor back and forth. There was some kind of a conference going on in one of the rooms. Three women apparently were with the conference organizers designated outside with a long table laid out in the corridor in such a way that it was covering almost the whole passage way. I think they were there to register the conference participant's name or something. There was only enough space for one person to pass, also where one of the ladies was standing and covering the whole passage way. I came around, she was busy writing down something didn't notice me standing until I said "Excuse me", She raised her head up, saw me and stepped aside and I went on my way. I came back after 5 - 10 minutes from whatever I was doing and there she was blocking the whole way. The same thing happened and I went by. The same thing happened for 3 or 4 more times and each time I said to myself, "Why don't they move the table parallel to the wall and make it easier for people to pass?". There were other people trying to pass by, which may have made her a little irritated. On my fifth pass she stepped aside and said to me "Is this your way of attracting women's attention?". I thought she said that to some guy behind me and turned around to look, only to find out that she was staring at me with this angry expression on her face. I stopped dead in my tracks with this shocked look on my face. I couldn't believe that my honor would ever be threatened in such a way. My first instinct kicked in to apologize, and I said to her "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.....", I looked around at the table and said to myself "Wait a minute, I'm not the one at fault here. She's the idiot blocking the whole way". I paused for 2 or 3 seconds to think of a serious response and said to her "No Ma'am, only to those idiots who think its alright to block a busy corridor." then I walked away. As I walked away a considerable distance, I didn't feel any guilt for saying that. Next time I used the corridor on the other floor.

I still feel weird for not feeling guilty about it. I'm not the same person as I was before all this time and its freaking me out a bit.

Signs of Desperation

Ministry Intervenes as Writer Sentenced to 275 Lashes
Raid Qusti, Arab News

RIYADH, 21 March 2005 — The case of a Saudi writer who was sentenced by a Shariah court in Riyadh to 275 lashes and four months imprisonment after being accused of being “corrupt” by members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, has returned to the Ministry of Culture and Information yesterday after the intervention of the ministry, Arab News has learned.
The case is the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Ali Al-Mizeini, an Arabic language professor at King Saud University, was charged by the commission with allegedly questioning the religious institution’s abilities and knowledge in an article written by him in Al-Watan newspaper. The commission was represented in court by another professor at the university, Abdullah Al-Barak from the Islamic Culture Department.[Full Article]
Source: Arab News

Poem: Meant To Be So Much More

By Knightmare

Blinded by overconfidence
In our quest for a perfect life
Wish we could see beyond the misery
And all the failed attempts to fly

Dreaming of Providence
For a resolution to this desolate life
Filled with regrets from our history
Now we wonder why the world has passed us by

We have more to offer than our fathers
Answer could be on our bookshelves
Now everything inside
Screams for another try

We were meant to be so much more
We have lost ourselves
Somewhere deep inside
Someone wipe our tears dry

Ghost Of The Barton Mansion

This is an update to the "Scary Ghost Video" post. Since I got so many hits on this video post, I got curious to see if it's actually authentic or not. I did an Internet search to find out the story behind the video clip. I found the website of the guys who shot the video. On their website they've written down the whole terrorizing story and also posted some pictures. So, check the website out.
It was actually funny to see them run down the stairs screaming like pansies :)
If only they could have kept the camera straight only for one more second then they could have got a very clear and focused picture of whatever that thing was.

Runaway Workers or Slaves?

Runaway Workers
Nawal Al-Rashid • Al-Riyadh

Private companies are constantly warning the public in the local press against dealing with employees who have run away without informing the employer. Some of the advertisements allege that a maid had disappeared from her sponsor's house along with some valuable items or a truck driver has fled with a vehicle full of goods which were being taken to another town. Some employers offer rewards for anyone providing information on the whereabouts of the runaway workers whose pictures appear in the warning.

What makes workers with a legal residence permit (iqama) run away from their sponsors after spending years in their service? What makes a driver betray his employer and steal a truck loaded with goods which he then sells? What makes so many maids run away from their sponsors? As we know, none of these could be called isolated incidents but such incidents, again as we all know, are on the increase....
Source: Arab News
Click here to read whole article.

Can anyone tell me what was the purpose of printing this article? What is the point that the author(Nawal) is trying to make here? Nawal goes on to state two obvious scenarios and then suggests that the "runaway workers" should report to the authorities. Why? So that these royal thugs could return these runaway slaves back to there abusive owners.

If this "runaway workers" problem has existed for decades according to Nawal then why hasn't the Saudi royals taken a proactive approach to solving it by now?

The Saudi slavery system does not even match upto the prescribed Quranic slavery standards. Where is the protection of slaves... err... "workers" in Saudi Arabia?

Family Guy Live!

A Flesh-and-Blood "Family Guy"
Wednesday March 16 7:50 PM ET

By Josh Grossberg

Before he takes over the world, Stewie Griffin is setting his sights on the boards.

The Machiavellian animated tot and the rest of his Family Guy clan could soon be appearing live in a venue near you.

Show mastermind Seth MacFarlane is teaming with 20th Century Fox Television and Just for the Laughs, the folks behind the Montreal Comedy Festival, to produce a theatrical stage production of the animated comedy titled Family Guy Live!

The show, billed as a two-hour, multimedia extravaganza, will feature the flesh-and-blood cast behind the 'toon Griffin family: MacFarlane (who voices several characters, including portly patriarch Peter, gin-swilling pooch Brian and would-be megalomaniac Stewie), Alex Borstein (wife Lois), Seth Green (son Chris), Mila Kunis (daughter Meg) and Mike Henry (pal Cleveland, among others).

Source: Yahoo! TV.

Click to read whole article.

Is it Real or a Fake?

Gas exploration has been going on in the desert of south east region of Saudi
Arabia.

This desert region is call Empty Quarter means in Arabic "RAB-UL-KHAALEE"; this body has been found by ARAMCO exploration team. Which proves that what ALLAH said in QURAN that long ago the people of AAD & SMOOD nations were so tall, wide and very powerful that they were able to pull out big trees just with the one hand.

But what happened after they became CRUEL and anti of ALLAH? ALLAH subhan-o-Ta'ala destroyed them. Ula'ma-o-Kiraam of Saudi Arabia believe that this body belongs to AAD nation.

Saudi Military took over this whole area. And no body is allowed to go in this area except Saudi ARAMCO personnel's. Saudi government kept it very secret but some military helicopters took pictures from air.

Somebody emailed me this picture with the above caption and don't blame me for the incorrect English. People send me a lot of fake stuff in my inbox. I have stared at this picture long and hard and have come to the conclusion that this is a professionally doctored picture. The guy with the shovel looks so CGI and doesn't even match with the other guy in the picture. The caption mentions that the Saudi government have kept it a secret, then how did this picture end up on the Internet? What would the Saudi's gain by keeping this alleged archeological find of the centaury a secret. If there is a forensic photographer out there then I would really be interested to hear what you have to say about this hoax.

Scary Ghost Video

Warning: Due to the paranormal related content, viewer discretion is advised!

I've seen pretty scary stuff caught on tape related to the paranormal, but this is the clearest picture of a Ghost or a Djinn depending on your beliefs, I ever saw caught on tape. It might be a fake, but it looks too real if you take into account the Ghost Hunter's reaction. ;)

POST UPDATE: Gost of Barton Mansion

Punk'd Parody

Click to watch the clip

Punk'd parody with Justin Timberlake on Saturday Night Live. Justin is actually funny in this sketch, I know I can't beleive it either.

Kin of Slain Protester Suing Caterpillar

By ELIZABETH M. GILLESPIE, Associated Press Writer

SEATTLE - The parents of a 23-year-old activist killed while trying to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home is suing Caterpillar Inc., the company that made the bulldozer that ran over her.

The federal lawsuit, which lawyers said would be filed here Tuesday, alleges that Caterpillar violated international and state law by providing specially designed bulldozers to Israeli Defense Forces that it knew would be used to demolish homes and endanger people.

Source: Yahoo News

Click to read whole article.

Finally someone is taking legal action for the murder of Rachel Corrie. I hope the executives of Caterpiller go to prison for a long time for selling equipment to terrorist nations (Israel).

Muslim Charity Claims Taj Mahal

An Indian Muslim charity has laid claim to the ownership of the world's most famous monument to love, the Taj Mahal.

The Sunni Waqf Board controls all Muslim graveyards in the state of Uttar Pradesh, where the spectacular marble monument is located.

It says the Taj Mahal houses several Muslim graves other than those of the Moghul royalty and thus falls under its jurisdiction.

Source: BBC News

Click to read whole article.

Muslim American: A New Identity?

Touring the US with his band Junoon, rock star and Muslim American, Salman Ahmed, wanted to find out how the aftermath of 9/11 continues to shape the lives of Muslim Americans in 2005.

"Following the attack," he says, "there were human rights abuses against Muslims, using immigration violations as a weapon. Thousands have been detained and others deported."

Source: BBC News

Click to read whole article.

Matrix Ping Pong

This is a very artistic display of live action Bullet-Time(Matrix) playing of Ping Pong.

Funny Iraqi Interview

Movie Review: Hotel Rwanda (4.4/5.0)

I saw the movie Hotel Rwanda last night and it turned out to be mostly what I expected it to be (Blood, Violence, Gore, and Genocide!). Since its based on a true story, the filmmakers took into account all the realities of a genocide situation. I expected too much of blood and on screen killings but it didn't have the usual amount of live scenes of actual killings. Maybe that's why the movie had a PG-13 rating. Don Cheadle's acting seemed very authentic. Lets just say I didn't notice a shift in his Rwandan accent through out the whole movie and I usually do notice these things.

I would say this was a very good movie if I hadn't already seen to many documentaries on real genocides and God they're all equally horrifying! If you want to know how a genocide goes down then I would suggest that you watch a documentary. The most realistic documentary I ever saw related to a genocide was "Cry Freetown" by Sorious Samura. It has a lot of up close footages of all the worst acts that a human being can fathom and commit on another fellow human being.

I must say I was a bit surprised to see people blame the west for not doing anything to help in the movie, probably because its also based upon Paul Rusesabagina's accounts so I guess the filmmakers had to show it.

Spoiler Alert! I was sick to my stomach on the part where the UN peacekeeping troops only came to get the foreign nationals (whites) out of the country and leave all the Rwandan's (blacks) to be slaughtered at the hands of the Hutu militias. They didn't even take one child with them, those white sons of bitches!

There was only one actor or actress in this case that I just could not bare to see in the movie and that was Sophie Okonedo. Man she is Butt-ugly and she was the one with the least acting skills. If you ask me any other black actress would have been acceptable for this movie instead of Sophie.

Over all I would give this movie a 4.4/5.0 rating.

Everyone Else Has Had More Sex Than Me

This is a flash animated music video of an 80s song "Everyone else has had more sex than me" by TISM. From what I gathered from my Internet research is that TISM was an Australian band in the 80s. Also, TISM never had a hit on any list. Bottom-line their music sucks bad. Its just because of this flash video by "Bernard Derriman" that has made this song a little bit noticeable on the Internet. The song sounds a bit catchy too thanks to the flash video and the cute bunny.

Click over here to read the Song Lyrics.

End of the World

A very funny flash animation about the "End of the World".

She Blocked Me

I came across this funny flash music video on the Internet. The song is a spoof of Puddle of Mud's "She Hates Me" song.

Free Ali Abdulemam Now!

Free Ali now you bastards! Don't make me come over there and break my foot off in your royal asses.