A positive sign
A man sentenced to one year in prison for killing his sister had his sentence increased to seven years today after the case was returned to the Criminal Court. Jaber...
Syria hands land back to Jordan
AMMAN (Reuters)- Damascus agreed on Monday to hand back to Jordan a tract of land along their border held by Syria for many years without Amman's approval. Syrian Prime...
Snippets from the blogosphere
As usual, the blogosphere is jammed with fascinating ideas, new information and some engaging discussions. Here are some snippets on developments being discussed in the...
Where are the Lebanese blogs?
In light of the political revolution currently taking place in Lebanon, I'm really surprised to discover that the Lebanese blogging scene is extremely mediocre. I have...
The Turkish Toilet
While on the subject of all things Turkey, Muscati & wife posted a picture of this toilet they found in a newly remodeled building in Muscat. For those that are not...
The removal of St. Nick
Residents of the Turkish province of Antalya have held a rally to denounce the removal of a statue of St Nicholas, commonly known as Santa Claus. Local authorities...
Published in ‘No Ordinary Life’
Four opinion pieces I wrote for a British Council project dubbed Counterpoint two years ago have appeared in a book entitled No Ordinary Life: Being Young in the Worlds...
A special appeal
It has been two months since Christmas past and still the husband insists upon keeping the Christmas wreath on our front door. All my efforts to convince him to remove...
The BRIT Awards
Last night we watched the 25th BRIT Music Awards, or BRITS, on MBC 4. I was extremely impressed by the performances of some of the new bands that were fairly unknown to...
Zade Dirani plays on
Jordanian composer and pianist Zade Dirani will present his blend of Arabic and Western music to Holland-area audiences at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at the...
Another night on the Corniche
Here are another few pictures of Doha by night taken during our second long walk along the Corniche. All enlarge with a click. My favorite is this one on the left. If...
Tennis anyone?
Dubai never ceases to amaze me. The pictures enlarge on click. Click here for a Burj al Arab reference. In preparation for the Dubai Duty Free Men's Open, tennis...
Good news of the day
Hyundai Corp. Plans to Build Factory in Jordan Hyundai Corp. has been pushing for the establishment of production and marketing operations for electronic goods in...
The first step
As part of a growing effort to take charge of our bodies, we have begun taking near daily walks in the evening. We began by walking around our neighborhood of Bin...
Domestic helper collects JD250,000 lottery prize
The Bangladeshi housemaid that won the lottery, has, in fact, received his money. So it was for real after all! There is hope ladies and gentlemen! There is hope. A...
After the ‘Sunset’
We really had an enjoyable evening last night. Along with Amal, we invited my colleague and next-door neighbor Indelib over for dinner. So, the moment I got back from...
Support Mojtaba and Arash
The global web blog community is being called into action to lend support to two imprisoned Iranian bloggers. The month-old Committee to Protect Bloggers' is asking...
Movie talk
Last night we made a great discovery. It seems there is some sort of a cinema club in this cultural desert. Yes, a real club that runs highly acclaimed non-Hollywood...
A second head
Egyptian Doctors Remove Baby's Second Head BENHA, Egypt -- Egyptian doctors said they removed a second head from a 10-month-old girl suffering from one of the rarest...
Snippets from the blogosphere
There are lots of interesting things happening in the blogosphere these days. Here are some snippets from a number of blogs that caught me eye: The Angry Arab analyzes...
A night at Salute
For those of you Jordanian expatriates that miss the 'night out' scene in Amman, here is a quick shot of the Saluté beer garden from the Gallery. Still on the topic of...
A good sign
For those that monitor the current status of the Arab media, here is a positive sign: An international media conference in Jordan called on Arab governments to provide...
Yet more Syrian spelling mistakes
For those following my spelling mistakes series here and here, well there's yet more with this bank pronouncement of Automatic Teller Machine service. Via: [The...
Dahab Hippies
When we were in Sharm el Sheikh last July we took a one-day trip to Dahab, another coastal city on the Red Sea near Aqaba. What we found was really fascinating. This...
The good old days!
For some reason Roba's post about Concord Cinema made me extremely homesick. Concord Cinema was the very fist theater where I got to watch a movie of my choice on the...
The Tynes turntable
For some reason, I have not been pursuing music as aggressively as I used to in my earlier years. This might have something to do with a shifting of priorities or maybe...
Syrian perspective
. . . and here is a Syrian perspective on the assassination of Hariri. More: There's also an interesting commentary today from Thomas Friedman in the NY Times on this....
Chicago Judge Sentences Jordanian Woman
A federal judge Tuesday sentenced a Jordanian woman to 15 months in prison for illegally entering the United States, despite her tearful explanation she believed her...
All over the map
This post will be all over the map simply because that is my current state of mind these days. Let me begin by saying I expect Roba will strangle me the next time she...
Sarah McLachlan Surprise
I got a nice surprise yesterday in the form of a package from FedEx that was delivered to my workplace. Inside the package was a copy of Sarah McLachlan's album...
The IKEA job interview
I have been feeling really down lately with all of this political mayhem that I keep obsessing about. Here is something that cheered me up. I thought I'd share. Hat...
Laith Majali
Nothing really makes my day like hearing about Jordanians making it abroad. Laith Majali is but one of them. Here is an article about him from Elon University in North...
Enraged
I'm extremely disgusted and horrified by the assassination of Rafiq al-Harrii in Beirut this morning. I just called my very good Lebanese friend Amal and she is...
The Citadel
Here is a highlight from the gallery of light cascading through the doorway of an Umayaad ruin in Amman. For more pictures keep your eye on the gallery. Click the...
Saudi Morality Police See Red Over Valentine Roses
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's morality police are on the scent of illicit red roses as part of a clampdown on would-be St Valentine's lovers in the strict...
Amusing story of the day
This one is from Bahrain. Teenage girls fined MANAMA: Two teenage girls were fined BD100 by the Lower Criminal Court for singing loudly in a street after attending a...
Brand obsessed
Fellow countrywoman and blogger, Roba, mentioned the latest IKEA chaos in north London, where people clashed as they gathered for the opening of the famous furniture...
A new trend among Arabic satellite channels
Continuing from the engaging debate on Subzero Blue, I would like to add my voice to that of MMM and salute the recent addition of MBC4 to to the Arabic satellite...
‘Jo’ features Tariq Nasser
I was very glad to find that JO magazine decided to put Jordanian musician Tariq Nasser on the cover of this month's issue. It's about time no? Nasser, founder of Rum...
Jordan’s ‘controversial’ paper
In a 6 Feb. New York Times' article about the major players in Arab media, the writer made sure to mention Jordan's al- Ghad newspaper along with giant dailies like...
Golf: One Jordanian’s experience
It's nearly 9:30 PM here and I'm already beat! The reason is that I was spending a very pleasant day engaging in a sport in which I have never taken a real interest:...
The Road Home
Last night, movie night at the Tynes was wonderful because the film of choice was Chinese film The Road Home, one of my all-time favorites. It was the third time that I...
Fair representation?
Yahoo News chose this AFP picture to go along with the Jordanian romance story. Is this a fair representation of Jordanian women? I think not. And you wonder how...
A day with Ghalia
We had a very nice day today. My good friend Ghalia is in town on a business trip so we made sure to meet up and explore the wonders of Doha. We agreed to meet at the...
A Jordanian Romance
I saw this on Ameen's blog and it was too good not to steal and post here. It amused me to no end. Amman - A budding romance between a Jordanian man and woman turned...
Street of culture…what culture?
I came across this letter to the editor from Karen Asfour today while browsing through the JT website. I thought I'd share. Where is the traffic police? Where are the...
Dinner and a movie
Last night the Tynes enjoyed this [click to enlarge it] for dinner. The wonderful dish, called zesty roasted chicken and potatoes, was made by yours truly and believe...
What’s going on?
Five militants surrendered to Kuwaiti security forces who surrounded their hideout on Saturday in the oil-rich Gulf Arab state which is battling a surge in al...
The Qatari solution
It seems the Qataris are doing much better than the Saudis when it comes to mobile phone camera scandals. They have devised a fairly ingenious solution. DOHA: A new...
Kudos to the man behind the Planet
This is a quick post to salute the work of Jordanian blogger Isam Bayazidi. He just launched a new version of Jordan Planet and it looks really great. The new version...
Sharm el Sheikh Nightlife
This picture was taken last July in Egypt's Sharm el Shiekh. Click the pic for additional Egypt imagery or here for more Gallery pictures.
Fairuz Overload
We had an enjoyable evening last night. Amal came over and we cooked a Chinese dish with cashew nuts for dinner along with some banana bread for dessert. They both...
Into the mind of Shujaat
Last night we did something out of the ordinary in this desert peninsula. Believe it or not, we actually found ourselves at a wonderful cultural event. The happening...
A Jordanian link to New Jersey killings..uff!!
The FBI is investigating a radical Islamic Web site that posted photos and information about people who use an Internet chat room frequented by a Jersey City man whose...
The Grudge
Last night we watched the horror movie The Grudge. If this is not scary then I don't know what is. Ya mama, Ya mama!!! I was screaming and clinging to Jeff throughout...
Jordan’s cellular boom
This is an extract from Arab Advisor's latest report on Jordan's cellular boom. A full 71% of Jordanian households have a cellular line, only 5% short of the fixed line...
What’s wrong with these people?
What is this about really? Some sort of smear campaign against Jordan? A Syrian publishing house that translated a best selling book written by a Jordanian author on...
The real heroes
This is a quick post to salute the real heroes of Iraq; the ones who dodged the bullets and bombs to cast their ballots. Hurray for you! This is real patriotism: to be...
West Beyrouth
Last night we watched the highly-acclaimed Lebanese movie West Beyrouth on DVD. It was quite a treat. The first time I saw this film was when it came out in the late...
Camel rider in the Sinai
This was taken last summer in Egypt's Sinai Desert. Keep checking the gallery for more pictures.
Vote for Mental Mayhem
UPDATE: Disregard this post as the BABA awards turned out to be a mess! Polls were rigged and had to be shut down. Thanks for all who took the time to vote for me!...
Poll results
Well it seems that the majority of Mental Mayhem readers support the Iraqi polls. This is a good sign and a great way to start the day!
Oh, the desperation!
Women Propose, Man Disposes JEDDAH — When a 25-year-old Saudi recently placed an ad in a local newspaper to sell his apartment, he was overwhelmed with the response....
Lost in the balloons
Here is a highlight from our recently launched photo gallery. This picture was taken in Downtown Beirut almost exactly one year ago.
Arab Bank under attack
Arab Bank Helped Saudi Charity Pay Bomber Families, Suit Says A Saudi charity that has collected more than $100 million for Palestinians made payments to the relatives...
The saga of the ‘unprofessional’ associations
I have been remotely monitoring the ongoing saga between the Professional Associations and the Jordanian government with great interest. For some reason I feel...
Excitement at the Doha Arrivals Gate
While we were waiting for Amal at the airport last night, we caught a glimpse of some Arab celebrities that were in Qatar to take part is some sort of Arab song...
Interesting debate
There is interesting debate shaping up on newswire. The discussion revolves around the latest information on the killing of a family of Egyptian Copts in New Jersey and...
Uplifting news of the day
Conquering Antarctica's highest peak Jordan's sole mountaineer Mustafa Mahmoud recently became the first Jordanian to climb Mount Vinson Massif, the highest summit in...
Sahar al-Layali
Last night I watched an Egyptian movie, something I have not done in a very long time. I guess this is what you do when you are bored out of your skull in Doha. The...
A Window on Lebanon
Well, the husband did it again. He created a fantastic gallery of a trip we took last year to Lebanon. You can click here or the gallery picture in the sidebar on the...
Taking down the Christmas tree
The husband wrote a nice post about taking down the Christmas tree. Take a look. He is also in the process of launching an advanced, neatly designed new blog. Here is a...
The Kite Runner
I just finished reading Khaled's Hosseini's The Kite Runner and what a delight it was. It is a beautifully-written tale about growing up in Afghanistan in the 1970's....
Depressing news of the day
Jordan prepares for an imported insurgency AMMAN -- Jordan has quietly bolstered its security forces to prepare for an insurgency imported from Iraq. Jordanian...
The fortune teller!
My very good friend Mariam wrote a very compelling post detailing her trip to Baqaa, a Palestinian refugee camp, to have her fortune read by the infamous fortune teller...
Banned items
As part of my desperate efforts to lose a minimum of five kilos in two months, I have decided to write down a list of banned items, which I should not approach or even...
The weather girl was right!
The weather girl was right. She predicted rain, a rarity in Doha, and it happened! Here is a picture from our kitchen window of this uncommon occurrence. Click it for...
Morning surfing
My morning surfing resulted in this. A picture of a young Bill Gates. Now isn't this just hilarious? Geez, he looks like such a nerd! Click here for more pictures....
An ‘Incredible’ viewing
We just got back from the movies where the film of choice was The Incredibles, and what an incredible movie it was! From the top-notch animation to the highly amusing...
Mosaic coasters
I haven't talked much about the gifts we received for Christmas. We were really grateful and very thankful for those that generously and selflessly demonstrated the...
Doha: The dullest place on earth
Ladies and gentlemen, I live in the dullest place on earth, at least according to the Lonely Planet website: Around the Gulf, Doha has earned the unenviable reputation...
Stunning photography
My friend Nouna has created a new website featuring her photography. Her site includes some stunning pictures. Take a look. Still on the issue of photography, I...
The “rebirth” of the second circle
Feb. 15 will mark the “rebirth” of the Second Circle in Jabal Amman with a new “green” look, offering citizens and drivers on the busy streets of the capital a pleasant...
Affliction Day
Amin Matalaqa, the US-based Jordanian movie maker I talked about in an earlier post has a new film. Entitled “Affliction Day,” the movie is a must-watch for those who...
My first bamya
Today was a day for rejoicing. I made my first bamya (ocra) ever. The result was unexpectedly great. And the husband is willing to confirm this. I have been wanting to...
‘Jordan won’t ban Iraqi poll ads’
I have always been disappointed with the work of Jordan‘s Lower House of Parliament and I guess that may never change. Why can't Jordanians be wise in choosing...
The scissors at work
Thanks to an earlier post by Subzeroblue, I found Dubai's new all-English channel "One." The channel is apparently competition for the popular Saudi-owned...
Disturbing revelation
Abu Aardvark has been examining an opinion poll on terrorism conducted by the Center for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan. The survey was conducted in...
Hero
We have finally managed to watch the Chinese movie Hero and what a treat it was. Seeing it was like marveling at a piece of art. Or as the husband said : “It played...
Jordan initiates massive reform of public sector
Rami Khoury of the Daily Star wrote a very uplifting piece about Jordan's plan to initiate massive reforms of the public sector. In his piece, Khoury interviews Marwan...
Another Saudi mobile camera story
This one is repulsive! Two young Saudis have been sentenced by the high court here to prison terms and flogging for orchestrating and filming a Nigerian driver sexually...
Bangladeshi housemaid wins Jordan lottery
This is what I call the uplifting news of the day. AMMAN (AFP) - A Bangladeshi housemaid was reportedly the sole winner of Jordan's New Year lottery, netting record...
Jordan rallies support for Iraq polls
From the BBC Jordan is hosting a meeting of Iraq's neighbours on Thursday to rally support for Iraqi elections on 30 January. It wants all the nations present to issue...
Obesity among Arab women
According to the Wall Street Journal, about half the women in the Middle East are overweight or obese: In Bahrain, 83% of women are obese or overweight, according to...
Site Vote results
Ok time to change the opinion poll. Here are the results of the previous vote. And the new vote is: "Do you think the upcoming Iraqi elections should be held as...
Starbucks finds its way to Jordan
It is official. Starbucks has made it to Jordan. Here is the Jordan Times story. From what I read, Jordanians seem excited about the opening. They should be! Starbucks...
Hideous!
This is the official mascot that was chosen for the Asian Games that will be held in Qatar in 2006. I personally think it is beyond hideous!
Zarqawi arrested? I hope so!
According to unconfirmed reports, Zarqawi was arrested in the Iraqi city of Baquba. Read the full story here. If this is proves true, I will dance a dance of joy and...
On cooking and more
In the spirit of respecting one of my new year's resolutions, last night I cooked the Mexican dish Chili for the very fist time. I know, I know, it is not that...
Ah, the persistence!
The Iranians got what they wanted. National Geographic has revised its world atlas, encouraging the use of "Persian Gulf." Read the full story here. In this...
Newswire is back
Ladies and gentlemen, Newswire is back. We couldn't add new news item while we were in Jordan as it was almost impossible to surf the net with the busy schedule we had...
AmmanNet Receives OK for FM transmission
Yep, yet another private radio station in Jordan. Way to go Ammannet. The radio revolution in Jordan is really worthy of praise. The kingdom is, without a doubt,...
Unpleasant greeting
We are back to Doha after a wonderful two-week trip to Jordan. And no, I'm not glad to be back. You can never get enough of your family and friends. As soon as we...
‘Sweden’s 9/11′
Recently, I received this e-mail from my Swedish-Thai friend, Nouna. She is very distressed over the loss of life among Swedish tourists from this terrible Tsunami...
2005 resolutions
It's New Year's Eve and I'm feeling contemplative. I have high hopes for the year 2005. I even took the time to write down some resolutions. Below are just a few: Stay...
Michael is here
Yesterday was a good day. My nephew, Michael William Connally, came to life. Both he and Brigitte are in a good health after three hours of labor. We were very lucky...
A ride on ‘The Polar Express’
The other day, we headed out to the movies to watch the Christmas film The Polar Express (Yes, I'm still in a holiday mood). What did I think of the movie? I was...
Some Christmas Pictures
I could go on forever about how wonderful this Christmas has turned out to be, but I will spare you the boring details and share with you our Amman Christmas photo...
Have a Merry Christmas!!!
[Click picture for a full-size greeting!]
Some things never change!
The best thing about Jordan is that in some ways it never changes. I think it's for that reason that it always feels like home. I came to this conclusion yesterday...
Quick update
Over the last few days we've been keeping ourselves busy socializing and meeting up with friends and family. I know I have said it more than enough times here but I'm...
The blogger chit-chat!
Last night we had our first Jordanian bloggers meet-up and believe me when I tell you, it was tons o' fun. Seven bloggers showed up: Roba, Isam, Ammar, Nader, Zaid, the...
Home, cold home!
So I'm home in Jordan and life couldn't be better. I missed my family a great deal and being with them again means the world to me. One of the many good things about...
Entertaining news item of the day
This one is from the Guardian Oh what a lovely jail Al-Qaida supporters detained in Saudi Arabia have appeared in a television documentary about al-Haer jail, 25 miles...
Street names, who cares!
This is from Ahmad Humeid's blog. Who cares about street names in Jordan. We don't use them anyway! We'll just paint over them like was done here!
Flag competition?
I just read that Bahrain has unfurled the world's largest flag (below), measuring 169.5 metere, beating Pakistan's record. A year and a half or so ago, Jordan put up...
The Saudi camera phone saga comes to an end
John from Crossroads Arabia alerteted me to this. Thanks John!Saudi Arabia to Overturn Ban on Camera Phones Saudi Arabia will overturn a ban on the import and sale of...
My first Christmas gift
Today I received my first Christmas gift. It is a cartoon, a caricature really, of yours truly created by a very good friend of mine, the famous cartoonist Shujat. He...
Terror suspects block opening of trial involving Zarqawi
AMMAN: Nine terror suspects allegedly involved in an Al Qaeda-linked plot to carry out chemical and conventional attacks in Jordan obstructed Wednesday's opening of...
Going home
I just got my exit permit -- my ticket to freedom out of this country -- so we are all set to go to Amman. Three days left ladies and gentlemen ... three days! I'm...
Depressing news of the day
Mentally-ill girl who was sold for sex faces death penalty in Iran A teenage girl with a mental age of eight is facing the death penalty for prostitution in Iran. The...
A new Jordan photo gallery
My husband, the exceptionally talented photographer, has uploaded a collection of pictures from Jordan in a new photo gallery. Take a look. Is he good or what?
Poll results
According to Mental Mayhem's opinion poll results, the majority of voters on this blog endorse Marwan Barhghuti for Palestinain president. I hate to disappoint you...
An image from Jordan
Inspired by Roba's quest for images from Jordan, I decided to highlight one snapshot from Jordan that I took a couple of years ago while visiting Um Qais, a Greco-Roman...
The Jordan Times needs a revamp
I just have to dash off a quick post to criticize the internet edition of the Jordan Times (JT). When will it ever join the modern world? I find it very disturbing that...
Sarah Michelle Geller is in love with Dubai
"If anyone has any reason for me to come back I will. I'll open a supermarket, I'll do anything. I like it here. I think the region is absolutely beautiful - I...
Vote results
Voting for the 2004 Weblog Awards has and ended. Mental Mayhem came in at number 9. That's really not bad. Many thanks for everyone that supported and voted for this...
A Jordanian in space, maybe?
Kuwaiti blogger Mariam has a very compelling entry about Arabs in space. In her post she mentions the names of the Arabs that have made it into space, including a Saudi...
Last day for voting
Today is the last day for voting for 'Best Middle East or Africa Blog.' While it looks pretty clear I won't pull out an upset, I'd really appreciate your vote. For my...
Iraqi bloggers meet the US president
Omar and Mohammad, the two Iraqi bloggers behind Iraq the Model, have met US president George W. Bush, discussing with him the situation in Iraq and the power of blogs....
The 17th “Arabian Gulf” Cup
There is a huge sports event taking place in Doha these days. It is called “The 17th Arabian Gulf Cup.” The name of the event would not have attracted my attention had...
The soundtrack of my adolescent years
Ahmad Humeid wrote a very nice piece in the Jordan Times about the advent of private English radio stations in the kingdom. He also suggested ways to improve...
Saudi story of the day
Teens flogged for graffiti Two Saudi teenagers caught writing graffiti that praised former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden southwest of the Saudi...
24: The first season
We just finished watching the first season of 24 and what a treat it was! It's probably one of the best shows I have seen in a while. What made it unique was the...
The Dalia surprise
Yesterday was a memorable day. Dalia surprised us, showing up in Doha along with Duri, who we had expected, here for half a day to attend a business meeting. The...
My take on ‘Alexander’
We watched Alexander the other day. Yes, it made it to Doha that quickly. Impressive no? I know the critics were very hard on this epic, so I'll try to be less so. In...
A Qatari Christmas
We were shocked to see the amount of Christmas decorations Qatar is offering this year. You really feel it is Christmas time on the peninsula. City Center, the...
Play in Amman
For those of you who are in Amman these days, there seems to be an interesting play going on as part of the Jordanian Theatre Festival. Directed by Sawsan Darwazeh, the...
Those Bahraini bloggers
Bahraini bloggers never cease to impress me. I just checked out their newly-established online community and I must say, it really is top-notch. In addition to their...
In Damascus, they voted for Bush
The Daily Star has a compelling piece from an American teacher describing his shock upon finding out that his Syrian students voted for George W. Bush. Very intriguing...
Highlights from Newswire
Ok time for some highlights from Newswire: Woman sells father's ghost on eBay Al Azhar manuscripts to go online From L.A. to New York to . . . jihad? US family sues...
Feeling jolly
Ladies and gentlemen, we have put up the tree! The Tynes residence is all decorated and ready for the festive season.[Click it to enlarge ]
Good news from Saudi Arabia
Lately I have been very harsh on the Saudis. Now it is time for some good news.Fist Saudi woman on bank board RIYADH: Saudi businesswoman Lubna Olayan has become the...
Divine food
Last night was a special night. I had the best Indian food of my entire life. This took place at the house of our Indian friends Arnab and Sucharita, where we were...
Here and there
There is an interesting debate currently taking place on this blog regarding the Persian Gulf vs Arabian Gulf dilemma. I thought I would draw attention to it because it...
Vote for Mental Mayhem
Mental mayhem has been nominated for the Weblog 2004 award category 'Best Middle Eastern and African blog.' If you think this blog deserves to win please vote for it....
The Saudi mobile phone saga continues
This one is from John: Female college students carrying mobile phones with cameras on campus in any college in the Kingdom could face a SR500 fine and 3-year suspension...
The magic of Miramiyyeh
This miramieyh exhibition is an awesome idea. Two thumbs up to all of those behind it. I'm a firm believer that miramieyh (sage) is magical. It provides a cure for all...
Meeting in Jordan
Isam and I have been discussing the possibility of setting up a meeting of Jordanian bloggers in mid -December in Amman since I will be there for the holidays. I can...
‘Terrorism unveiled’ ~ Give me a break!!
I stumbled across a blog by an American woman writing from Jordan. The title of the blog, “Terrorism Unveiled,” disturbed me to no end. Is she expecting to unveil...
Snippets from the blogosphere
I didn't get my usual nine hours of interent browsing today, as I was off work, spending most of the day slacking at Starbucks. However, the little time I spent online...
Recent developments in the Jordanian political arena
Ameen has noted that Jordanian bloggers have been silent about the recent development in the Jordanian political arena, so I thought I would weigh in on the subject...
Koolaids
Finally I settled on a new book to read. It's Koolaids by Lebanese- American writer Rabih Alameddine. It is the second book I read by the same author and so far it is...
Ode to a ‘Rocket’ sandwich
Jameed took a trip down memory lane and talked about his love for the “Sarokh”(Arabic for rocket) and the “cocktail” sandwiches that used to be (or maybe still are)...
Music from ‘Rum’
The band 'Rum' is really going places. I love their music. The last time I attended their concert was last year when it was held at the Street of Culture (Share3 al...
Maid abuse in the Arab world
I'm one of those who is completely against having live-in maids, a phenomenon that is widely accepted and supported in the Arab world. Not only am I horrified by how...
Meet-up with a Qatari blogger
Last night I met up with a Qatari blogger, Peaceful Muslimah (PM). We really had a great time as we hit it off immediately over a hot latte at Starbucks. We had a very...
Censorship in Qatar
I found this inside the 22 November edition of Newsweek magazine, which I'd purchased from a store in Doha. It obviously was applied by hand via magic marker.
Newswire highlights
Ok, time for some highlights from Newswire: U.S. Muslim TV Channel Aims to Build Bridges Israel's Abu Ghraib? Iraqi Leaders Plan to Meet Insurgents in Jordan Arab...
New features
A quick announcement: New features have been added to Mental Mayhem (many thanks to hubby). Those features include a search, which can be found right beneath the...
Nour Al-Sharif to play the role of Yasser Arafat
Prominent Egyptian actor Nour El Sharif has announced that he plans on presenting the life story of the late Palestinian President, whom he was very good friends with,...
The Arabian Gulf vs the Persian Gulf
Since I'm currently living in the Arabian/Persian gulf, I'm finding the current debate about whether the "gulf" is Arabian or Persian rather fascinating. For...
Sweifieh, we hate you!
Jordanian architect Mohammad al-Asad hates the al-Sweifieh district. He unleashed his anger in this article. A few days ago, my wife and I wanted to buy clothes for our...
Godsend
We watched Godsend last night and believe me when I tell you it was bad, really bad! We picked it up primarily because it featured Robert De Niro. We thought, you know,...
Jordanian movies
Ameen has as a nice post about Jordanian movies, introducing the work of Amin Matalqa, a Jordanian living in the US. I watched a couple of his movies this morning right...
The future is now
Scientists from the RAND Corporation have created this model to illustrate how a "home computer" could look like in the year 2004. However, the needed...
From the Washington Post
In an interview with The Washington Post at an Iraqi military base shortly after he was detained, one of the men said his captors hung him from a ceiling and beat him...
Quote of the day
“The Jordanian Citizenship Law is a sexist piece of legislation,” said Jordanian Minister of Interior Samir Habashneh when asked why Jordanian men married to...
Blog talk
My fascination with the power of the blogs is, surprisingly, still upwardly trending. I have been blog-hopping for a while now and the amount of information I'm getting...
Vote results
It appears the majorty of voters at the site don't anticipate any change for the Palestinians after the death of Arafat. Is that not interesting?
Update on the Saudi mobile camera story
For those who read the news item I posted earlier about the Saudi crackdown on mobile phones with a built-in camera, hereis a very amusing update. Saudi bride roughs up...
The meatloaf story
I had never tasted, seen or made a meatloaf before. I only knew of this all-American dish from the musician that bears its name. Last night, though, things changed....
Highlights from Newswire
For the news junkies out there, here is today's dose of newswire: On deathbed, woman admits killing husband Image-Wary Israel Seeks 'Ambassador' on Reality TV Newsman...
Terror in the Skies?
I just read this article about one woman's travel experience on a plane with “14 Middle Eastern men” who were acting suspiciously (Thanks Tania). The article is a bit...
A trip to the Doha Zoo
Question: What do you do in Doha on your day off when bored out of your skull? Answer: Go to the zoo! And that's exactly what we did Wednesday. Joined by Amal, we three...
Crackdown on camera phones at Saudi border
DOHA: Qatari nationals and expatriates travelling to Saudi Arabia by road or air have been cautioned against carrying mobile phones with cameras. According to some...
Conversations with a Doha pastry chef
Pastry chef: Would you like something written on the cake? Natasha: Yes, please. "Happy Birthday Jeff" Pastry chef: Jess! Natasha: No no, Jeff: J. E. F. F....
Highlights from Newswire
Ok. Now it is time to indulge in some self-advertising with some highlights from newswire: Virgin Mary grilled cheese' back on eBay Swarms of pink locusts sweep through...
K-Pax and more
We had been avoiding watching K-Pax for a while, as most reviews said it was a major disappointment and not something you'd expect from big stars like Kevin Spacey and...
Spotted at Queen Alia Airport
This was spotted at Queen Alia's airport. Apparently the IT department at the airport is using a trial version of Norton Anti-Virus. The message popped up on the...
More Syrian spelling mistakes
These come courtesy: [Ammar]
After Years of Relative Peace, Christians Live in Fear
A wave of attacks on churches and Christians viewed as infidels or collaborators is generating alarm among a Christian community that has long lived in relative peace...
Two Brothers
Part of the birthday celebrations was to go to the movies and see a film Jeff was very much interested in: Two Brothers by director Jean-Jacques Annaud, creator of...
A special day
Today is the hubby's 35th birthday. We have plans to celebrate this special day at our favorite restaurant here: the Italian Job at the Ramada Hotel. It is a place...
Spotted at the Damascus airport
This sign was spotted at the Damascus airport. I personally thought it was hilarious (Thanks Dima). For non-Arabic speakers, here is some explanation: Since the letter...
The one and only Grendizer
Ahmad Humeid wrote a fascinating blog entry about his childhood infatuation with the Japanese animated series, Grendizer. I strongly related to his post, as I was one...
Currently reading
For those who care to hear my review of Salam Pax diary, here it goes: I tremendously enjoyed the first few chapters of the book; the writing was amusing, witty and...
Me, Bill Clinton?
What Famous Leader Are You? Personality tests by similarminds.com I took this personality test to see which world leader I would identify with and the result was Bill...
MSN to tempt bloggers with traffic and ads
If you're a blogger, MSN might come to you and say, 'We want to distribute you. We'll send you traffic and we want you to run these ads on your site, and you'll get a...
Life after Arafat
So the veteran leader is dead and I remain pessimistic about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Regardless of who succeeds him, I don't foresee a major improvement for...
Play 99.6
Syntax design is working on branding a new radio station in Jordan, Play 99.6. It really is top-notch work. Way to go Syntax. I'm impressed.
The simple joys of life
Below is a list of things that kept me plugging this week: Oscar Mayer hot dogs The Dave Mathews band Scrambled eggs with Tabasco CSI Our ADSL connection Ah, the simple...
The Clandestine Diary
Nowadays I'm reading Salam Pax: The Clandestine Diary of an Ordinary Iraqi. Yeah I'm pathetic, I know. I spend my days either blogging, blogging about blogs, reading...
Blogger threatened
This Iranian blogger received a death threat from a terrorist group that regard his views as offensive. What's alarming about this threat is that the group created...
Flight canceled after passenger discovers Arabic-style handwriting in magazine
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Midwest Airlines canceled a flight ready to take off for San Francisco after a passenger found Arabic-style handwriting in the company's in-flight...
One cousin skydiving
This is Carl Lambert, my cousin on Jeff's side, skydiving. His hobby is discussed more in this link. Isn't this just so cool? Though I must admit I would be too scared...
Newswire is finally here!
Ok ladies and gentlemen, Newswire is finally on-line and ready for your perusal. There is now a permanent link for it on the sidebar of this blog under the “Special...
17 Reasons Not to Slit Your Wrists…by Michael Moore
Dear Friends, Ok, it sucks. Really sucks. But before you go and cash it all in, let's, in the words of Monty Python, 'always look on the bright side of life!' There IS...
Twelve more years?
My friend Firas is convinced that the four more years of the upcoming Bush administration will then extend eight more years to twelve! How is that possible? Well, he...
The Independent’s front page
Via [The Angry Arab]