Archive for June 4, 2006
So Sami Amin Gemayyel claims that he had read so much. So he was asked what he read. He said: I read “so much to the point that I don’t remember [the books that I read]” (thanks Amer)
Posted on June 4, 2006 by As'ad
So the travel section of the New York Times has a story on Qatar today. The cover page had this picture above (the beautiful beach at the Four Seasons Hotel) and…a picture of a camel. I have been to Qatar three times and I never once saw a camel.
Posted on June 4, 2006 by As'ad
A senior aide to a senior aide to a senior aide to a senior aide to a senior aide to a senior aide to a senior aide to a senior aide to a senior aide to Abu Mus`ab Az-Zarqawi was captured.
Posted on June 4, 2006 by As'ad
Western democracy: Nazi party enters the Polish government.
Posted on June 4, 2006 by As'ad
“Marine’s wife paints portrait of US troops out of control in Haditha“
Posted on June 4, 2006 by As'ad
I am really happy that An-Nahar is no more a “good” or “effective” newspaper. I am really glad that it is now a blatantly racist and sectarian (Christian) newspaper. You have to thank Jubran Tuwayni for that. He removed the camouflage that his father had put in place. Here, Pierre `Atallah–who was accused of Israeli [...]
Posted on June 4, 2006 by As'ad
I can’t believe I am quoting Spengler: “Political life is equally meaningless. Parliamentarism provides a talking shop that obscures the basic political reality—the triumph of money. Before the power of financial speculation everything gives way: constitutionalism, democracy, even socialism. Politicians are the agents of financial interests.”
Posted on June 4, 2006 by As'ad
Look at those two. They are laughing because the Israeli prime minister bragged to Mubarak about all the Palestinians that he has killed in the last week.
Posted on June 4, 2006 by As'ad
The new Syrian opposition front, called the National Salvation Front, met in the Dorchester Hotel in London, which is where mini-Hariri stays in London. Hariri Inc funded the meeting, I am told.
Posted on June 4, 2006 by As'ad
Fifteen people gathered in Batrun to “honor” Hariri tabloids’ propagandist, Faris Khashshan. Ten of them were family members of Khashshan.
Posted on June 4, 2006 by As'ad
A new Arabic translation of Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit (one of the most important books ever written in my opinion) has just been published by Al-Munadhdhamah Al-`Arabiyyah li-Tarjamah. The translation is by a Tunisian professor of philosophy.
Posted on June 4, 2006 by As'ad
Environmentally Correct. Arab Gulf governments are now all invoking the same talking points with regard to Iran. This must have been recently provided to them by the US government. It goes something like this: “we are worried about Iranian nuclear reactor because it may pose an environmental threat.” Oh, ya. Those worst polluters are suddenly [...]
Posted on June 4, 2006 by As'ad
Hamas experience in government, and its leadership’s trust in Abu Mazen, will go down as the most foolish political act since the communist Tudeh Party aligned itself with Khumeini.
Posted on June 4, 2006 by As'ad
I am still waiting for a fatwa-to-end-all-fatwas: The dean of the Shari`ah college in Kuwait, Muhammad At-Tabatabi’i issued a fatwa compelling the wife to vote according to the preference of the husband. (thanks Souhana)
Posted on June 4, 2006 by As'ad
Hoping to get some extra cash, an Iraqi professor at a Lebanese university “invented”–to use the language of the right-wing An-Nahar newspaper–a small remote controlled plane (not a newspaper) (they are like the ones you buy at Toys-r-US, I kid you not), and he named it Rafiq-1 (after Rafiq Hariri). I will name my remote [...]
Posted on June 4, 2006 by As'ad
When Arab leaders meet with Israeli leaders not only do they act oblivious and contemptuous of their public opinion on the matter, but they act as if those meetings are a sign of being “civilized” and “modern.”
Posted on June 4, 2006 by As'ad
I watched a special edition of Al-Jazeera’s Hiwar Maftuh from China. They brought together students and teachers specializing in the Arab world at Chinese Universities. I was so impressed with their fluency in Arabic. One student apologized for his weak command of Arabic because he was a two-year student, while his Arabic was better than [...]
Posted on June 4, 2006 by As'ad
I saw Sharbil Khalil on LBC-TV’s Al-Hadath. You listen to him and realize: not only is he unfunny, but he is quite dumb. And he could not even hide his sectarian biases. He at one point referred to different standards [of democracy] among different sects, implying clearly that he thinks that he belongs to a [...]
Posted on June 4, 2006 by As'ad
Caillebotte, Gustave, View of Rooftops (Snow), 1878.
Posted on June 4, 2006 by As'ad
“US soccer teams turn to religion to boost crowds”
Posted on June 4, 2006 by As'ad