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Giving us a day off!

Tomorrow (Monday) has been declared a public holiday in Dubai.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Latest Bushism: “I can press when there needs to be pressed; I can hold hands when there needs to be — hold hands.” –George W. Bush, on how he can contribute to the Middle East peace process, Washington, D.C., Jan. 4, 2008

As much as this he gave, he still had some funny gigs up his sleeves. Enjoy!

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There’s no problem here really. It is, after all, the circle of life.

The problem is: he was born in 1677! YES!! It is said that he lived for 256 years!

This is a picture of him was taken in 1927, when he was only 250 years old!

According to Li, the secret of longevity consists of four main practices:

• Keep a quiet heart
• sit like a tortoise
• walk sprightly like a pigeon
• sleep like a dog

After he returned home, he died a year later, some say of natural causes, others claim that he told friends that “I have done all I have to do in this world. I will now go home.”, and then allowed his spirit to depart.

WOW!

But lately I’ve been increasingly reading horrific childbirth related stories: people dumping their babies in trashcans, others abandoning them in hospitals bathrooms, others under bridges, and sick people stealing other people’s babies!

What is exactly happening at maternity hospitals these days?

How on earth can someone wait for a baby to fully develop inside them, only to conclude that 9 month journey by dumping their offspring in a bin? And how on earth can someone have a heart to steal a little helpless baby from his mother’s caring bosom? That I would never know!

Another thing that really pissed me off even more is where the hell is the kidnapper’s neighbors’ from all that havoc? I mean if you live next to a woman who hasn’t had a child all her life and she suddenly has a baby in her arms, then shouldn’t you suspect that there’s something slightly wrong with that picture?

I just read that they captured the baby’s kidnappers after they left the poor thing in an alley in Al Wihdat. The little girl’s parents named her Liqa2 (that translates to reunion) after she was kidnapped hoping to reunite with her again soon and, thank God, they did.

Now here’s what really got me all wound up: the time a baby’s kidnapper has to serve in jail ranges from 3 months, to 3 years! ARE YOU F’N KIDDING ME?!?!

In some parts of the world, like Dubai for example, you get a nonnegotiable 4 year prison sentence for a worthless joint, BUT HERE, you can abduct a helpless baby from his family and get away with 2 years? Perhaps 6 months for good behavior!

Is it just me who thinks this sentence is unduly lenient?

On a seperate note, I wish everyone a happy 2008. May it bring happiness and fortune to all of you.

Today was different: I was determined on posting something. So this is it, I know it’s not much, but it’s a start … 

A: Tangible results.

Jordanian Minister of Health, Dr. Salah Al Mawajdeh, fired Dr. Abdulhadi Al Braizat, Director of The Prince Hamzah Hospital. The decision came as a step towards increasing the hospital’s efficiency.

After almost a month of the accident, my father is still unable to walk, but we’re still hopeful that with intensive physiotherapy he’ll get back on his feet again. Although it saddens me that my father’s case had to be the driving force and the changing trigger, I can take solace in knowing that such changes will hopefully prevent further similar cases from taking place ever again and that negligence and carelessness, at a place where these qualities must seize to exist, will eventually be eradicated.

And I have all of you to thank again.

Shaikh Mohammad issued instructions that no journalist is to be jailed for reasons related to his work

King Abdullah II confirms that there will be no restrictions on freedom of speech.

ROCK ON!

Of course I am all for standing for one’s principles and beliefs, but there are people who manage to simultaneously live in both sides of the fence and who eventually appear as hypocrites.

It kind of reminds me of those people who have no problem committing the seven sins [السبعة وذمتها] … yet when the Adhan calls, they’ll take a break from whatever bad thing they were doing, as if nothing’s wrong, pray, and then resume the wrongdoing after prayer … and of course when you dare to question their integrity, they’d say something to the effect of (إن الصلاة تنهى عن الفحشاء والمنكر) (Prayer restrains from indecency and evil deeds. (29:45)).

So, in other words, those people will continue to commit all the sins they can possibly commit in a one lifetime and pray for forgiveness in the hopes that God shut his eyes and overlooked all what they did. Well I would rather not pray at all than be a double-faced hypocrite who will probably serve more time in hell than someone who never prayed but never committed as much sins.

Anyways, do enjoy the video

YouTube DirektLink

And there’s just no timeout when it comes to time …

But on the other hand … getting old is not for sissies!

So no, I won’t go all melancholic and I will have a happy birthday!

For 29 years ago on this day … a baby was born and it was one small step for a family, one giant leap for mankind (or so I’d like to believe).

The more I think about it the more I become proud and content of the wise and considerate leadership Jordan enjoys. The best way to feel with the people and know what exactly needs to be corrected is to be present at the notorious scene.

King Abdullah could’ve simply taken the words of officials on the status quo of the Prince Hamzah Hospital, but he’s well aware of the fact that people would most probably tell him what he would like to hear.

I can imagine Mr. Samih Al Ma’aita (سميح المعايطة) kicking himself for ever having to write the article on how promising the hospital looks and the great investment Jordan made (more than 100 million $) in building that hospital. A quick look at Al Ma’aita’s article would make you think Jordan has introduced its version of Mayo Clinic.

But the reality is so far from what Mr. Al Ma’aita had predicted. The feedback from the people, after less than a year from inaugurating the hospital, was terrible: Doctors and nurses were being beaten by patients and their families, people called radio stations reporting bedbugs and lice, patients died because there were no medical specialists, in addition to a fire that broke out IN the hospital and a strike by the hospital workers and other reports by journalists who witnessed what the hospital is from the inside, all within the timeframe of one year.

Without a doubt, the King did not like what he saw.

Here are some excerpts from King Abdullah on why he goes incognito:

If I hear of a crisis in a certain area, I send people ahead of me a day or two beforehand to write a report. And then I confirm whether or not I actually need to go to this place.

 

 

If I wasn’t in disguise and was to go to an institution and ask what the problems were, people would probably say what I want to hear, or what they think is the right thing to say.

 

 

And then when we go, a lot of the security come with me, and they also take notes from what they see. We compile the reports after my visit, and the reports go to the government.

So to all the negligent, careless, inhuman officials in Jordan: you’d better start doing what you’re supposed to do, for the Disguised Man is back to haunt you!