Romantic Comedy For Arabs?

Romantic comedies all share one thing in common, the final scene is the guy at the airport parking his car in front of the airport gate rushing to stop the girl from taking that flight. Now for that scene alone we will never see in Arab star in a romantic comedy ever.

Now, see the Arab guy parking his car in front of the airport gate, rushing to get inside. If that alone doesn't raise the terror threat, I do not know what will. Somehow making that final scene at a greyhound station is not dramatic enough for viewers.

Whatever the end of the movie is, you can rest assured the squeal will be filmed in Guantanamo prions.

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Men Are From Israel, Women Are From Palestine

Forget the men from Mars and women from Venus old axiom. I have a new one that seems to work for me or from my perspective.

Women are like Palestine, using guilt trip to get you to do whatever she needs. They developed more intricate ways of making a men feel bad to get them to do what they want.

Men are like Israel, they know the have done you wrong, they know it looks really bad, they keep doing it and will never apologize.

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White Terrorists Vs. Muslim Terrorists

Muslim terrorists say they are pro Islam and care for it, so they kill the innocent and make Islam look really bad. And in the process making their own religion look violent.

White terrorists hate Islam, say they are anti-Islam go on and kill civilians and end up doing a service to Islam by making the point that even non Muslims can be terrorists too. Killing is wrong no matter who does it.

Maybe we can use a lot more Muslim haters, those who hate Muslims end up helping them not hurting them. Those who hate will always lose.....if not their lives, their souls

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The Terrorist of Oslo and Muslim Observations

The massacres in Oslo shock the world as they unfolded. I could not help but reflect upon the tragedy. At first I was shocked by it, but then my second thought was this, "I hope the killer does not look like me or have a name like mine" I knew there are thousands of Palestinian, Iraqi and North African immigrants living in that country. I have been to Norway in 2000 and have seen many of them. My brother in law also lives in Noway--away from any major city.

The terrorist of Oslo, says he hated Muslim immigrants and loved Israel so he killed close to a hundred people in Norway to "be heard".

Muslim terrorists say they hate western governments and love Palestine, so they killed in NY, VA, PA, Spain, London and all over the Arab/Muslim world.

Conservative here dismissed any attempted to understand the mentality of the terrorists. Any attempt to understand those terrorists would be an apology for those cold blooded killers. Progressives wanted to understand where this hate come from.

After the Oslo attacks, it seems the roles have changes, the motive of the killer is among many his hatred toward Muslims. Conservatives all of sudden are interested in listening. Progressives now are using this to make the point that terrors has no race or religion, they are no interested in listening this time around.

All agree murder is murder, but each one takes away something different for this tragedy. Norwegian Anders Behring Breivik is no hero for most, but those loud voices of hate in Europe's right wing must be ashamed of themselves. As one of their own destroys one of their key arguments "One Muslims are capable of mass murder"

I hope people in charge are not using this to score some political points, we all mourn today with Norway. From the comments I have seen so far on Arabic news websites, this is a huge shock even to those Muslims long portrayed as murders.

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Things Great Only in Philly

I was in Philly yesterday and it was good to be back in this very homey feeling state. Everything about this state is different, its politics, its culture and most of all its food. I love to go down to Philly and expiration with various types of food. There is a very strong sense of food culture down there, they take pride in fresh ingredients, like Pennsylvania is the California of the East coast.

Sure the people in Cali are a bit better looking and thinner, but PA has all the smart people out there in business, industry and in academia. Not to forget the passion those people have for sports. It's not a joke up there. Same goes for competitive eating out there. Dairy, produce, bakery and meat are outstanding here. I know the locals might not call is their own, but Reading Terminal market is a true exprience for foodies.

One thing, I noticed, Philly does not levy tax on clothes, but you would think the people of that city have a better sense of fashion. This would be a very false assumption. I did purchase few items from the local Macy's, I got a sweet deal on this dressy Ralph Lauren slacks that I have wanted for a long time.

As I live in Washington, DC history is all around the city, so the history stuff wasn't a big draw for me. I have seen the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and most of those sites. But this time around Roa and I wanted to check the local culture and did just that. Having nice break at Rittenhouse park next to the homeless was a lit like most of those DC parks.

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My Hot Arabic Music Blog Has Been Hacked

So someone from has hacked into my blog and stole it. What that means is this, I can no longer access the blog. He has full control of it now, and he has placed his own ads to make money! I have been locked out of my music blog! I cannot access it. So I am not sure what kind of ads you will see. Right now I see sexy latinas!

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A Muslim Man Turns The Other Cheek

If this Muslim man did something wrong, I would say, I do not know him and I have nothing to do with this vile person. But many won't believe me and think I am not being forthcoming. But when this Muslim man does something very compassionate, I am the first to say, I wish I knew this man. It takes A nework like Russia today to put this report that addresses a serious issue in America.

Last night, just before the state of Texas executed a man for his post-9/11 killing spree that left two Muslim men dead and another seriously injured, he said something extraordinary.

“Hate is going on in this world and it has to stop,” were the final words of Mark Stroman. “Hate causes a lifetime of pain.”

What caused such a dramatic turnaround? None other than the simple power of forgiveness.

Stroman’s surviving victim, Rais Bhuiyan, has been campaigning in recent months to see Stroman’s life spared. Bhuiyan, a Muslim man, said he committed to the campaign because his religion does not permit hatred and instead commands forgiveness.

His actions, after being shot in the face by Stroman, were incredibly moving to the convict. Before his execution, Stroman said that Bhuiyan’s words made him “more content now than I have ever been.”

This video is from The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann, broadcast by Russia Today on Thursday, July 21, 2011.

Thom Hartmann: The final words of a killer that should not be ignored

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Skinny Models Beat Nature

News reports of lack of food security in Gaza reaches a grave level. In Somali is declared a famine just this week, where starvation is hard to miss. Those are troubling news for many.

Kids in those two places are so malnourished that skinny models in Paris and Milan are jealous. They asked of Gazans an Somalians, "What's your secret?"

There's an unconfirmed report of models applying for asylum in those two places on their quest to find a food desert with little temptation.

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A General Media Rule

This is what I am now beginning to think about how many Arabs and Muslims who appear on TV or other media, they always have to defend themselves and record. They are often resumed guilty until proven otherwise.

As a general media rule, if you have to assure viewers that you’re not a terrorist then you’ve already lost the debate.

that puts you on the defense, and validates claims your opponents have made, they get to dictate how you are defined. So, do not stoop to their level.

Of color some Arabs/Muslims like the approval of some white guy with a mic, it gives them a sense that they are now legit. I think it's sad. Like a Hispanic having to proof they are here legally.

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Confessions of a Backseat Driver

I do not drive, no, I cannot drive no, I am not permitted to drive and have never driven in my adult life.

So needless to say I can either get around using the bus or get a ride with a friend--never tried to hitchhike.

So, when you drive in the city, parking is the biggest concern, DC parking as not as bad as American cities like San Francisco, Boston or God forbids New York.

But to find an empty parking spot in the city in the weekend needs a miracle. I get fed up when those driving me keep looking for parking and not find one. So I get reckless at the sight of anything that looks like a parking space.

Driver: Do I fit here?
Hani: Yes, Sure but I am thinking to myself "Make it work please, I am sick of this all driving around"
driver: Can I park here?
Hani: Yes, it looks legit, thinking to myself "I just hope the parking enforcement people miss your car"

I know I am not alone in this, all other passengers in the car, they seem to want to just get to where need to go fast. It's not like we will be asked to pay any fines. Selfish for sure, but that's why the driver needs to make the sound decision!

This happens a lot....so next time your passengers all say "Yep!" at the time time, be suspicious. It's a conspiracy of the careless!

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Once Again The French Pick On Muslims

I was reading a story on Aljazeera , that made my blood boil!

The French government must not have anything of importance to do in those days. After banning Muslim women from wearing they head cover and the niqab, they decided they are not done yet in picking on French Muslims and Muslims visiting France.

When most of the world is working to clean their financial house, the French are taking out their social complexes and problems on the Muslims living over there. A leaked document shows the next phase of secular France is most likely geared toward Muslims.

Here are few of those gems the French have come up with

1. Cannot Pray in the streets anymore! But do not worry French orgies are still ok
   
2. Cannot choose the gender of your treating doctor! FAIL I am sure good Christian women and Orthodox Jews are not too stocked
   
3. Refusing to be deliver your baby by a doctor--here in America midwives still exist
   
4. At restaurants Women have to eat in public places and not in a private place!
5. No more permits for Halal food establishments--this is not good for business, French Muslims would start importing their food/meals form outside France.

The target is Islam in this case, here is one more bizarre story, a Muslim family whose kids go to a Catholic school are made eat fish every Friday in accordance with the school's catholic teaching. When the family complained about this, they were told the school is right and they are wrong. The family was also denied to get food from some other place.

I mean this issue is really complicated, but I get the feeling that France is going into the Nazi direction there especially with their social engineering and discrimination. I have no doubt that some Muslim immigrants in France are hard to get along with, but in this case two wrongs do not make it right.

Where is the principle of Freedom in this culture? You are free to be like us, but we the French government will not allow you to be you. I know the French taught the early Americans a lot of things, but maybe this time they can learn a thing or two from those Yankees about protecting the rights of individuals.

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Fourth of July Boom, Music to My Ears

4th of July is awesome and hard to miss. Anywhere you go you find the spirit, even at the grocery store you go and there's everyone picking bags of chips, soda, meat...etc. Even those blame America crowd enjoy it too. But today I was sitting in my bedroom and the boom sound of those fireworks got annoying after awhile. Sure we are in the nation's capital and everyone has the right to light up some on this very American day. But it really got annoying really fast.

But then it hit me, it feels like for a moment there, America becomes like Gaza, where you have to hear a lot fo random boom and act like everything is ok! The boom in Gaza is real, the one here is fake, but there's not difference really, they are both loud, and most of all they are both legal. In Gaza however fireworks are illegal 365 days of the year, we do not have a reason to light them up, the Israelis kind of do that for us and we don't got to pay for them.

Drones, tanks and helicopters bomb any moment and sometimes militants launch homemade rockets at Israel (glorified fireworks really) and you are just watching on the sideline and hoping the next day will be better. Happy 4th of July everyone and don't mind me being jumpy every 4th.

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7 Arabs Wary of Palestinians

You can hate the game, but not the player. While the majority of Arabs support the Palestinian cause and want to see it resolved, there are those Arabs who do not have warm feelings toward Palestinians. Despite this, along with the Arabic language, the Palestinian cause unites most people of Arab descent. Nevertheless, there are groups of Arabs that will forever remain wary of Palestinians. Here they are:

1. The 1975 to 1990 Lebanese: civil war is an ugly business and in Lebanon, the Palestinians are the everlasting punching bag. Now, I’m not saying that some Palestinians didn’t play a divisive role in Lebanon’s civil war, but the Palestinians are definitely Lebanon’s scapegoat. Unfortunately, this will never change until Lebanon’s Palestinian refugees are allowed to either return to Palestine or are given the ability to live dignified, productive, and free lives in Lebanon.
2. The 1990 Kuwaitis: now, I don’t know what the Palestinian leadership was thinking when they supported Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait. Supporting an occupation or being silent when you see one happening – especially when you have been placed under occupation yourself – won’t help endear anyone to your cause. Despite repeated apologies and a number of initiatives, some Kuwaitis will always remain skeptical of Palestinians.
3. The 1970 Indigenous Jordanians (bedouins): remember when Palestinian militants harassed Jordan’s young king and shook his (corrupt) regime to its core? King Hussein took no prisoners and bombed the hell out of Palestinian refugee camps. Until this day, grudges still exist. It does not help that the Palestinians in Jordan have a superior soccer team that, more often than not, defeats those dirty bedouins.
4. The Naive Arab: he (or she) watches their country’s state-sponsored news and truly believe that their respective despot is doing all he (never she) can to free Palestine, feed the hungry, protect the refugees, and heal the sick (they also walk on water, too!). In reality, all these despots do is talk (sometimes out of their mouths, but mostly from their asses). Yet, these naive Arabs refuse to see their dictators in a negative light, and look forward to the day that they liberate Palestine.
5. The Paranoid Egyptians: now, these people are hilarious. they have no clue of the social and tribal makeups of the areas bordering Palestine, and get freaked out by news of smuggling activities, weapons and drugs tunnels. There are even people in Egypt who believe Hamas is the one closing the Rafah crossing, not the other way around. They tend not to mind that their sworn enemy enters their land with no visa, and would rather look down on those “dirty Gazans.” Of course some of their fears are rational, but paranoia is never helpful.
6. Other Arab Expats: they live around the world alongside many Palestinians, and they envy the Palestinian expats for their success despite all odds. Sure, some Palestinian immigrants can hardly be considered saints, but they are hard workers. These jealous Arabs like to mumble about an existential “affirmative action” policy for Palestinians, and they also believe in some magical “Palestine Card” that exists to prevent Palestinians from being deported (how can you deport someone that doesn’t have a country of origin?). As my grandpa used to tell me, “if the poor takes a large shit, the people would want to know what he had for dinner.”
7. The “Me” First: you know those suit-wearing and soft-spoken Arabs, the ones you find in Palestine and countries bordering historic Palestine. They’re running governments under the banner, “Palestine is complicated, but hey, you can enjoy Mc burgers and fries if you wanna…” They are loved in the West, and they lead their political lives by the motto: let’s dance until the music stops. They cannot stand all the tragic news form the Palestinian territories so they try to make it into the news by making the world’s biggest kabob, bowl of Humus, Flag…etc. This policy is often in place to help cover up for the traitors and uncle toms running the country and opening up casinos for “tourists”. They mistakenly think running countries is like running brothels, something they are very familiar with.

[Tarboush Tip: Andrew]

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Watermelon, The Conversation Starter

I bought another watermelon today July 3rd, 2011 and on my way back from the store to my house-a 15 minute walk through Meridian Hill Park and a group of young Hispanic immigrants started joking with me about "cutting it", at first I thought they wanted to cut me.

Then an African man saw me and asked me how much I paid for my watermelon! He thought I got a good deal. A young white couple saw me and wisheed me a happy 4th of July becasue I was being patriotic with my watermelon.

Here's my question, since when has it been OK and talk to strangers with a watermelon? I swear more people talk to me when I have a watermelon than when I carry anything else?

I am aware watermelon is hard to miss, and people sometimes look so tired of carrying one, so people who see them feel like making light of it. Kinda of like the dudes carrying a keg, they know there is a party somewhere.

What makes people seem so friendly when they have this watery fruit? But coming to think about it when I was a kid in Gaza and we bought watermelon people always wanted to know how much we paid for it? I think watermelons are like pets in that sense, they help break the ice! And keep you cool.

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Smoothie King Leaves Me With a Bad Taste

This is the reflection of my personal encounter with Smoothie King, your experience might be different, but here is what I have to say about Smoothie King, the popular smoothie place in the East coast.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

This summer I have ordered about 35 smoothies from this Franchise from a number of their stores in the DC area and Northern Virginia. While they have a large of smoothies to satisfy all tastes out there, I found that their smoothies are bland, weak in taste and fail to leave with impressed.

Sure, the first sip is always good, but once that thrill is gone, the taste becomes dull and you feel obligated to finish what you ordered. You do not look forward to finishing the smoothie as it should. Also, I think that you lose touch with the smoothie as it goes to blend, the way Smoothie King is set up is you order and one place and pay at a different register while this concept is great for the store enabling them to take more orders and be efficient. I think the customer loses touch with his beverage as we walk to another register at the end of the store to pay. There's also one more problem that stands between the customer and having visuals on his/her smoothie:

The bulks of things Smoothie King wants to sell you, they have vitamins, powders, fruits, water, candy, protein bars, nuts, flayers....etc. you get distracted and cannot help but think those items should not belong to this store. This reminds me of few years ago Starbucks when they started trying to sell you all kind of things...ultimately they ended up changing all that and focusing on their number one seller coffee.

Smoothie king might find a lesson there. What else? I fail to see what the workers at the store put in my smoothie, my wife told me she saw them put sugar on mine, but I am willing to think that was added protein. But on another note, what's up with all those syrups and added flavors they have over there? I do not see those at any other stores. look in the fridge and near it you will see what I am talking about. those are not juices, but flavors.

Finlay, the pricing at Smoothie King is a bit higher than their competitors. Not sure why they have to charge 8 bucks for a medium smoothie? When you can get the same size for about 5 bucks at the other guys (whom I love) who are more front about their ingredients? Do not take my word for it go and compare prices.

will I go back to Smoothie King? Sure they are close to my place, why not? I would go becasue they tend to send out coupons in the mail too, but I think Smoothie King has an area for improvement. I think their corporate office needs to slow down and reflect back on their effort to build the brand itself and not just expand without having to win customer over. Not sure what founder Steve Kuhnau would have to say about the company now.

PS. I emailed their customer services with a complaints about an employee two weeks ago and I have yet to hear back! The only email on their website is for franchise information, I guess customers and their complaints do not matter. It's frustrating.

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