dictators

What has become of us? Why are we all so engaged in wars? Why do we long so deeply for power and dictatorship? When I was a kid, I thought I could save the world. I played it many times in my mind that I would one day convince all the world leaders that serving people should be their sole intention. I thought that if I could speak to their better nature they too would understand. It was a Walt Disney movie. As time severed, I understood that mankind has desires far beyond my comprehension.

You're probably wondering why I am thinking about all of this a day before the New Year. December was a strange month. First Pinochet (December 10), then Niyazov (December 21) and last night Saddam. All known for their extremist governments, all known for so many crimes against their own people. Maybe we should wish for more Decembers in 2007. Then maybe one day there won't be any dictatorships. Maybe one day we can live together in peace, in harmony, as human beings.

last days

a lot like Xmas

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Soon the bells will start
And the thing that will make them ring
Is the carol that you sing
Right within your heart
...

I've had Christmas lights up since the beginning of the month. I added the last touches and the presents today, so it really does look a lot like Christmas now ...

I have to admit, I miss mum and dad, I really do. I remember the Christmas trees we had when we were kids. I guess they probably put up a tree so we wouldn't feel different from everyone else. We even had stockings, and since we didn't have a fireplace, we just hung them on the wall ... Oh God, I hope I can go home for Eid. I miss the warm fuzzy family feeling so much ... I have a set of parties lined up for the holidays, I hope it gets me out of this blue!

penguins

Memphis: What's going on there? What are you doing?
Baby Mumble: [tap dancing] I'm happy!
Memphis: What's with your feet?
Baby Mumble: They're happy, too!

We watched Happy Feet on Tuesday and boy what a jolly cartoon! Forget Bambie and Nemo, Happy Feet is an adorable movie without any of the horrible sketches that are popular in today's cartoons. Just what you need to get into the spirit of the holidays. If you have time, go and watch it ...



I guess aside from the general message animations have that you should never give in, this one reminded you of how we as human beings are affecting the habitat we share with other living creatures. It's good for children of all ages (there were only adults in the theater watching the movie with us) to become accustomed to the idea, we will be hearing a lot more in the coming years ....

* Still photography from IMDB

needle

I was doing some sewing tonight (yes I just admitted that I do that and if you want to mock me I knit too, but that's a whole other story!). Anyhow, I lost my needle. Thinking that I might step or sit on it I started looking for it immediately. I found it on the coffee table where I was sitting, of course, after I had searched the whole room. It had me thinking, I don't have a short range sight in life either, I usually need the distance to see people and the greatness in them ...

گره کور

یادمه که قبلا شنیده بودم می گفتن یه کسی گره افتاده به کارش. اون وقتا خیلی نمی فهمیدم یعنی چی، ولی الان می گم که یه گره کور افتاده به کار یکی از دوستام. باورتون نمی شه چقدر کور. من که دیگه روم نمی شه با خوش خیالیهام بهش بگم حتما خیرت در این نبوده. اصلا سر در نمی آرم، آخه چقدر!؟

something more

I want to take this time to thank you for the love you gave
And from this moment, you've got to know
I never wanted something more
And I never felt so sure
Cause now I've got this chance to be
Everything you saw in me
And even more
Than I ever dreamed before,
As long as you are here with me
I know that I can be, something more.

- Ryan Malcolm

The Logic of Failure I

... Still others have located the source of the trouble in male domination of the society. They distinguish between "serial" male thinking and "parallel" female thinking and identify the later as more appropriate for dealing with complex problems. Indeed, the entire tradition of Western "analytical" thinking is often blamed for all woes.

Failure does not strike like a bolt from the blue; it develops gradually according to its own logic ...

give me the night

'Cause there's music in the air
and lots of loving everywhere
so gimme the night. Gimme the night.

- George Benson

about dad

My dad sent me this! What we think about dad when we are:

4: My daddy can do anything.
5: My daddy knows a lot.
6: My daddy is smarter than your dad.
8: My dad doesn’t know exactly every thing.
10: In the older days when my dad grew up, things were different.
12: O well naturally father does not know any thing about that. He is too old to remember his childhood.
14: Don’t pay attention to my father. He is so old-fashioned!
21: Him! My Lord, he is hopelessly out-of-date.
25: Dad knows a little about it, but then he should, because he has been around so long.
30: Maybe we should ask dad what he thinks.
35: I’m not doing a single thing until I talk to dad.
40: I wonder how dad would have handled it. He was so wise and had a world of experience.
60: I’d given anything if dad were here, now so I could talk this over with him. Too bad I did not appreciate, how smart he was.

the pig

The test asked me to draw a pig and based on that drawing gave me the following:

• You are positive and optimistic.
• You are direct, enjoy playing devil's advocate and neither fear nor avoid discussions.
• You are analytical, cautious, and distrustful.
• You are secure, stubborn, and stick to your ideals.
• You are a good listener.
• You have a good sex life.

Now who in the world would have thought a pig could tell you so much! Try it.

execute

I always tear up on sad stories about children, but what have I done to help?

stand by your man

Sometimes its hard to be a woman
Giving all your love to just one man
You'll have bad times
And he'll have good times
Doing things that you don't understand
But if you love him you'll forgive him
Even though he's hard to understand
And if you love him
Oh be proud of him
'Cause after all he's just a man
Stand by your man
Give him two arms to cling to
And something warm to come to
When nights are cold and lonely
Stand by your man
And tell the world you love him
Keep giving all the love you can

- Tammy Wynette

007

I didn't like the idea of a blond Bond and the movie wasn't that great either; not as catchy, not as smart. Although, we seemed to disagree on the actor; some thought he was quite attractive, just not my taste then ... And the splatter of romance, nothing like the James Bond I had loved for so long. And where was the car? The great famous James Bond gadgets? I know it was supposed to be an early Bond but no fancy car no gadgets just doesn't make it real enough. All in all, it was a little too much Hollywood!

renewal

We stayed up all night and went to bed in the morning like old times. It was fun, we laughed and joked around. I am so glad we still do this, although not as often as we used to. It's one of those small things that says, I am carefree I can be a child again ...