Archive for February 26, 2006

I admit that I had underestimated Muqtada As-Sadr. He has proven to be a very shrewd politician, despite (or because of?) his hot temper and lack of scholarly (religious) training.(Of course, I still think that he holds a fanatical vision for Iraq).

Posted on February 26, 2006 by As'ad

We must come up with a name for what people in TV news in the US do. I know that there is the word “entertainment” but they don’t entertain me. They bore me.

Posted on February 26, 2006 by As'ad

I caught a glimpse of an interview on C-Span with a (an apparently very well-known) blogger known as Instapundit. After watching him talk, I never felt as strong an urge to not be a blogger. Ever.

Posted on February 26, 2006 by As'ad

I read that Shaykh Al-Azhar, who threw an ash tray at a journalist two years ago because she dared to ask him a question that he did not like, has offered to go to Iraq. I say, go for it. Please go. I hear that you are really needed there, and Bush has been making [...]

Posted on February 26, 2006 by As'ad

Read this article about USAID in this Lebanese newspaper. Was this written by the Lincoln group?

Posted on February 26, 2006 by As'ad

For those who are experts in the field: I was reading the details of the budget of the American University of Beirut. It spends 2.4% of the budget on PR. Is that more than average?

Posted on February 26, 2006 by As'ad

“Abbas Not ‘Relevant,’ Israeli Official Says” (I agree. Abbas has not been relevent since the day he was born).

Posted on February 26, 2006 by As'ad

When you read Western newspapers–including the Guardian, you would think that white farmers are the only farmers in Africa.

Posted on February 26, 2006 by As'ad

“‘If they destroy our opium crop, how will we feed our family?’”

Posted on February 26, 2006 by As'ad

“The commander of the Israel Defense Forces division along the Gaza border, Brigadier General Aviv Kochavi, was forced to cancel his planned trip to the United Kingdom after the Military Advocacy instructed that he refrain from commencing studies at the Royal College of Defense Studies this summer, fearing that he would be arrested on charges [...]

Posted on February 26, 2006 by As'ad

Saudi publisher Hashim `Ali Hafidh died today. He founded Al-Madinah newspaper, Arab News, and later founded Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat. He lived in distress: the House of Saudi stole all his newspapers from him.

Posted on February 26, 2006 by As'ad

No on-air personality annoys me more than Al-Arabiyyah’s Gizelle Khuri. Not even Larry King (live or taped). She symbolizes all that I despise and detest about Lebanonese popular culture. She is the epitome of artificiality, superficiality, pretension, conceit, and obnoxiousness. It is my problem, I admit. I can’t watch her–and sometimes I do want to [...]

Posted on February 26, 2006 by As'ad

For those who care, I shall speak this evening at UC, Santa Cruz in Namaste Lounge College 9, 5:00-6:30 PM. The talk is titled “The View to the West, from the Middle East”.

Posted on February 26, 2006 by As'ad

The Syrian government arrested three students because they were forming a peaceful group. Also, the Syrian government now plans to compensate large landowners for the land nationalization (or the land reforms) of 1958. Anything to stay in power.

Posted on February 26, 2006 by As'ad

I used to respect Riyad At-Turk. That was years ago.

Posted on February 26, 2006 by As'ad

“Many elderly Belgrade residents in straitened circumstances share a similar fate. But this is the home of Mrs Josip Broz Tito, widow of the former Yugoslavia’s communist dictator. Jovanka Broz, 81, was discovered living in penury after her sister, Nada, wrote to newspapers to complain of the “disgraceful way” the former First Lady was “forced [...]

Posted on February 26, 2006 by As'ad

“Analysts See Lebanon-ization of Iraq in Crystal Ball” (Beware Lebanonese: this is not a compliment)

Posted on February 26, 2006 by As'ad

“Border Plan Seen as U.S. Conceit: Across Latin America, people are dismayed by a bill calling for a 700-mile wall along the frontier with Mexico to stem illegal immigration.”

Posted on February 26, 2006 by As'ad

“Thailand has one of the highest rates of female labor force participation in the world. At 65.1 percent, the country ranks well ahead of other Asian nations such as the Philippines (50.2 percent), South Korea (49.9 percent), and Japan (48.2 percent). The female labor force participation rate for the United States is 59 percent, placing [...]

Posted on February 26, 2006 by As'ad

“Women, scientists on wish lists for Harvard”

Posted on February 26, 2006 by As'ad