*A Visit To the South......by Jamil Shawwa

I live, and reside in the capital of the south, The Commonwealth of Virginia, so I am considered a southerner. I love the south; I think it has class, tradition, sometimes too much tradition. However, my southern style is combined with being adjacent to our nation's capital, Washington DC, so I am a southerner with a northern style; like both but happy to be closer to the north. The south of the United States is historically referred to those states that were hardheaded in regard to abolishing slavery, and that hot or hardheaded mentality lead to the civil war between the southern states I.e., Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, etc and the north which represented The Unites States. The war ended-thanks God- with the south being defeated and the rebirth of this great nation, The USA. The southern states still with variations here and there cherish the memory of the civil war and in some pockets, some put the confederate flag- the symbol of the south during the civil war- side by side with the US flag. Having said that, America has come a long way since then, continued to grow, indulged and opened its borders to tens of millions of immigrants that made the US demography right now the country of all with no specific dominance of a particular ethnic group. I like southern food, mainly fried, sometimes too fried and greasy for my taste, but I like it. If you drive a little deeper into Virginia, 30 miles south and above from Washington DC, you will see the rural areas, the farms, the mountains and the more laid back people, the closer you get to DC, like any metropolitan area, the closer you get to the high rhythm of life, the traffics, the speed, and the hustle and bustle of the city. Today was the day for me to go to one of these country style southern eateries, I do not want to say restaurants, because really you feel as if you are going back in time when people used to put their horses out side these saloons or eateries. I went inside and was greeted with a nice little old lady, around 75 years young, and was seated. When I ordered Earl Grey Tea, the whole place looked at me, maybe because I was loud or something or maybe because they felt that this person does not belong here, he should have ordered an all-American coffee not tea. Any way, I ignored the looks and ordered my other favorite breakfast, Pancakes, oh, my God, I can eat pancakes every morning; one of the venues to my heart-there are many venues- is an old fashion freshly prepared hot off the griddle pancakes with maple syrup and real butter. Pancakes came and I thought that I would have a breakfast of a lifetime but I was disappointed, it was greasy, as if it was fried, those southerners, and not flat put on a flat surface to be prepared slowly. I ate it and looked around and I asked the server, the seventy-five years young little old lady if the owners are still running the place, and she answered no, but it is now part of a chain. That is it, part of a chain, basically as McDonald, a factory that mass-produce things for the people just to get full. I finished my food, and my Earl Grey tea, paid my bill, left a decent tip and went out, I looked back, gave another look and said goodbye to the old south. America now is not south and north, and I like it the way it is now, America is everything and everybody, America is all faiths and religions,. America is all styles and Shapes. Anyone that thinks otherwise needs to go to that restaurant and witness the abolishment of the old south.




* Some of the best and the brightest that America brought came from the south. The heart and soul of the US military reside in the south. This article is looking at an angle in the south but it does not represent the completely rich southern experience.

The Customer with the Big Nose! ... by Jamil Shawwa

I came to realize today that I might need to diversify my eating-places portfolio; I think I am starting to get more vibes than usual from my regular Vietnamese hangout. For the past few days, the sister of the owner who happens to be a server there has been bringing her six years old daughter; not sure why, maybe just to help or maybe she wanted to send a message to all the customers that she is happily married with children, not that anyone ever tried to be fresh with her or anything. She is warm, hospitable, I mean the sever, and very good in what she does. the other day she was having a native breakfast, did not get the name, but it was made out of thick milk, bananas and other fruit that looked like apples; it was so tasty and so sweet. Just for those that wonder, her breakfast time was my lunchtime. Probably I am getting either old so my lunch is getting earlier or my work schedule requires me to eat early, or both. Any way, back to that smart server and her six years old daughter. The child runs around and helps her mother with utensils and other lightweight things and smiles at the customers. So when I come to the place, she would say hello and help and chat a little, maybe her mother told her that this guy is a regular but I hope that she did not tell her that I'm regular for the girls, which truly I'm not, just regular for the food. any way, all of a sudden and out of the blues, today, this child decided to change her welcoming patterns to me, so instead of hi and hey, she came running to the table after I situated my self and got ready to order my usual, and she just threw the big one at me and said hey, you are the customer with the big nose! What big nose, no way, I said, and she answered yes you are, and she went running back to her mother who was smiling in a naughty but nice way from behind the counter. I was going to give this child a dollar today to buy candy but the big nose remark got me thinking as how this child- kids can and are very preseptives- know or would notice a big or small nose, and is there a conspiracy from my Vietnamese waitress to send Jamil a message that just focus on the food and nothing else. Well, any way, I will continue to go and might give a dollar to that child after all; I mean she just said what she saw, or maybe what her mother saw :))

The Indian Restaurant... by Jamil Shawwa

The Indian Restaurant is open for business, actually, it has been open for business for years and years but not until recently that the Indian restaurant picked up momentum. It is everywhere now, all over the world, in every major and metropolitan city. The Chinese restaurant phenomena should watch for that neighbor from the south, it is gaining ground and it has the learnt the secrets of how to spread restaurants wherever their people go. The food is very diverse, very colorful and very tasty. It accommodates all tastes from the natives, to the seekers of new flavours and new styles. India is huge, over a billion, another scale to compete with China, a nuclear power, enough said. Back to the food now, India has multi ethnic groups, different languages and dialects, different living standards and thriving international presence. It is so contradictory and its food might represent its diversity and its unity in the same time. The ingredients of the Indian food is the same, the spices are the same, the colors are the same but when you put a Sikh, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jewish Hindis, the cooking will not be the same. Their country is like their food, very diverse but in the same time once you cook, you will use the same ingredients. India is everywhere now, in food of course but also in IT, the computer technology, and programming. They go everywhere and they succeed, they do not care where they are, it is completely irrelevant to them, what matters to them is that they succeed. There is some kind of occasional religious tension in India but it is not hindering its political process. You see the diversity, again, in the restaurants; Hindus mostly eat vegetable, Muslims and other faiths eat everything. There are restaurants that cater to the veggies, I am not saying Hindus, because it does not exist, and there are restaurants that cater to all. You go and choose, you will be eating next to someone who is completely your opposite in eating habits, no problem, no intrusion, no preaching as why you are not like me and that I'm not like you. They do not have it, they have poverty but they have nuclear missles, and reactors. India loves the UK, Great Britain, and the British loves the Indians; the Indians are trustworthy, they are hard working people. They look up to England and they want the British to be proud of them, they recently bought Jaguar and Landrover, and tomorrow one of them will be the British Prime Minster. India is not an aggressor, this is a big point and credit in world politics and it does not seek world dominance, which again is a good point for them. India just wants to succeed, and it will do it everywhere it's people exist in any place in the world.

*State of Love IV.....He Bows... By Jamil Shawwa

He: What is next for us? I now feel that every time I want to make love with you or even attempt to start the process- oh my God, I started to talk like you- I have to check if you are mentally stimulated and that your mind is into it. What do I need here a radar detector... every time that I want to come near you, or start a new conversation hoping that it would be the one that would hit the jackpot and will lead eventually to your womanhood. You are making me too self-conscious about the whole thing, you are taking the spontaneity out of the lovemaking, you are just being like a machine, I have to make sure that it is well oiled before I turn on the engine. I am depressed, every part of me is urging me to just jump and do it, but you are standing or setting there with these cold eyes like a schoolteacher waiting to give me a passing grade or like a guard on a borderline checking my identity cards before letting me in to the other side, the greener side. I cannot handle it anymore; I am looking for love and not a robot. You have become so cold since our last lovemaking; you have become so distant, so not appealing. I only used to look at you to get aroused, not anymore. So tell me more, even in bed, if I turn around and want to hug you or kiss you or touch you, the way I like to do because I just can not keep my hands off you whenever you are with me, do I need to wake you up or ask for permission to see if your mind is there before doing anything. Do I need to give you a news bulletin before touching...?



She: keep talking, I am starting to feel the vibes coming from my mind to every part of my body, do not stop talking, your words, your voice is stimulating my mind, my heart and my body. I hear your voice inside me before even you touch me, my little thing is crying and hitting hard, my heart is jumping and my mind is telling me, go for it.. Do your work, you primitive beast.



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*Disclaimer:



For entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance with any real life situations or people is just a mere coincidence. These conversations are not related to any specific person or persons. They are general human observations from life.

Jerusalem, Israel and the Arabs .... by Jamil Shawwa

Now and not tomorrow, Israel and the Arab countries especially Jordan, Egypt- both have diplomatic relations with Israel- with Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian authority must start talking about Jerusalem- maybe they have, what do I know- the city of the three divine religions, the city of love, the city of the synagogues, the churches and the mosques. This city should be preserved as an international and historic landmark. I do not think that there are cities on earth more significant historically or religiously than Jerusalem, I said in previous pieces here how the city is destined to be inhibited by the three divine religions and by the followers of these religions. When you look at the big picture, you realize that this means almost the whole world past, present and future. Jerusalem is looked at and towards from Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas, Australia, and that is the world. In China, Japan, South East Asia included as they have followers of the three divine religions. Now, the Arabs must drop their famous hypocrisy, pretension, and start the long march towards a historic finally peace between Islam, Christianity and Judaism. As I said before, Jerusalem will continue to be the capital of the State of Israel. In the same time, I said that Jerusalem in its eastern parts would be the future capital of the future state of Palestine. Jerusalem will always and it should be an open city, no barriers and no fences, no fights, and no terror, no destruction and no hatred. Start the dialogue now even before the final status on the West Bank and Gaza strip. We have four legitimate entities with the popular support to do it. The State of Israel, Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian authority. Use the arts of negotiation with no prejudice, and set and talk, converse. It is not a dream, I do not like to dream it, I like to do it. I do not dream for peace between Israel and the Arabs, I want to make it happen. The voices of despair, darkness, terror will shut up for the last time- or they can continue to talk as long as they do not use violence- once the process starts. I know the Arabs, I have family in Gaza, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and in many  other Arab countries and of course here in the US- and I know Israel, I have as I said before very distinguished friends that I call family in the State of Israel, and I know how they long for peace. Again, Israel will be integrated in the new Middle East as a viable country with the state of Palestine in the West Bank and the Gaza strip. Israel will join the Arab League, needs to change the name though to something like The Middle East Union, MEU, and it will be fantastic for commerce, and the well being of the people of the Middle East. Enough- As the late Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin said- suffering. the Arab people in their vast majorities are the most affected by this condition in the Middle East, every excuse on earth is used in the Arab countries for not doing the right thing for their people which is the historic conciliation with the state of Israel. We can dwell on the past, cry on things that we do not control, continue to weep and call things Nakba or Naksa or we can stand up, and talk. You do not lose anything when you talk, but you lose everything even your own self-respect when you hide your face in the sand and pretend that nothing around you exist.

*State of Love III......She Rules..........By Jamil Shawwa

He: but how can we maintain this momentum, how can we continue this level of lovemaking


She: we agreed that it is not the romantic love, it is not the ah and oooooh love, it is stronger, it is the mind love

He: indulge me please, I feel lost, for the first time I feel that I am not in control. Love but not love, mind-making love, are you creating a revolution in the love making process, as we know it.

She: I am! but I am not! It has existed forever but people thought that it comes from the heart though it really comes from the mind. I am of course talking here about the normal love making process; I am not talking about the love making that exists because of any other factors.

He: any other factors? What is this? Am I talking with an analyst here or am I talking with a sensual female that drove me nuts in the number II state of love conversation.

She: I drove you nuts because my mind was in full gear, in full satisfaction, in full desire, and my body just responded naturally to a very stimulating conversation.

He: that is too much for me, too much calculation, too much mind or whatever processing, I just want to make love, can we please do it, I am in the mood.

She: I am not! We are not animals here; I must feel stimulated before...

He: honey, love, baby, cutie pie... come to daddy...

She: my heart is telling me go, my body is pushing me to respond to you playing with me, I can not resist your hands and fingers, and your body indulging, but there is something missing...I can not..

He: Something is missing alright, for sure...too much thinking, you do not feel my love, my touches, we were unbelievable last night, until this brain thing came between us. Please honey, give your mind a break, let your body talks, listen to your body, it is begging you.

She: no dear, my body is not begging me, you are the one that is begging and it is so pathetic... honey, talk to me, stimulate my brain.

He: (busy roaming his everything all over her)

She: baby, stop, no more for now, I cannot make love with my body, I cannot make love with my heart, and I have to make love with my mind. I know it is hard, I know it is unnatural, I know that we are revolutionizing the love making process, I know it feels as if we are machines, but we are not, my mind has to get warm before my body part does.

He: ok, you go ahead and revolutionize the love making process, as for me, I'm not a revolutionary person, I go by the flow, and I'm very happy with the good old fashion love making process, where I use my other parts to make things happen and give my brain a break and just let the animal senses do the job

She: well, with me, tonight, right now, your animal senses cannot work.

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*Disclaimer:

For entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance with any real life situations or people is just a mere coincidence. These conversations are not related to any specific person or persons. They are general human observations from life.

*State of Love II a Sequel .......by Jamil Shawwa

He turned around in a very slow motion, in a very lazy way, more like rolling rather than turning and there she was with her eyes wide open, wearing nothing but her sensuality and a little warm cotton blanket that complemented her vibrant, silky and warm body as if it was part of hers. Her looks were so confident and satisfied as she was walking through his motions- with her eyes only- noticing every movement he has been making even before he woke up, looking towards him as if she was expecting him to look, roll or turn. He said good morning,

Good morning, she said, and gave him the smile of the victor, the satisfied, and her long by the shoulder, as he likes it, straight hair added vigor to her smile.



He: I am so happy

She: I am happy too

She: it is amazing

She: what

He: we were both together, in the same time, it rarely happens

She: rarely very true

He: how

She: not sure, and I do not want to know

He; you are right, why ruin the moment

She: no way, I still feel it

He: really

She: of course, it is still with me

He; oh yes, I remember now, we immediately slept

She: yes, we could not move from the bed and the bed did not want us to leave, there was a little of a struggle there but the bed won as if it wanted everything that happened to stay still.

He: I wonder if we can repeat the story, the action, I wonder if we can hit the replay button and have it all over again with no changes, just duplication

She: no way, I do not want to duplicate, I do not want to repeat the same thing; I do not.

He: but you said that it was something that rarely happens

She: yes, and that is why I do not want to duplicate...



He: so is it love



She: no, I mean it is not love the way we say and feel love, it is stronger, as if our minds who made love and not our bodies. Our minds made love even before we met. What followed was natural. It is so strong; we can make love to each other any time anywhere, even if we were not together. What we had was not love; it was the meeting of the minds in a very complicated way with the love making as the climax of that meeting.

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*Disclaimer:

For entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance with any real life situations or people is just a mere coincidence. These conversations are not related to any specific person or persons. They are general human observations from life.

Religions In Public Schools....by Jamil Shawwa

I was fortunate enough to exchange some ideas with very distinguished friends on Facebook and I thought to bring my notes regarding religions in public schools into this third and final trio on public education. I believe in the separation between religions and public schools, Religions in public schools cannot be taught because of the diverse- in open societies- background of the students. Religions also are a private matter between the person and God or the persons' faith and whom they worship. Countries at some point must choose if they want to adapt secularism or theocratic form of government. Having a mix will not and does not work. There will always be conflicts between the two. In the United States, religions are not taught in public schools, period. There are countries though with special status as the Vatican and to a certain extend Saudi Arabia that the teaching of the religion is in the core of their existence. In the case of the Vatican, it is clear, as the head of the Catholic Church. In the case of Saudi Arabia, the country really is not a regular country with regular form of government but is fully based on the religion or the alliance between the royal family and the Wahabi sect of Islam. The family runs the country affairs and the Wahabi runs the religious foundation. It is for the Saudis as any other country to decide if they ever have the chance to decide. For the rest of the world, Parents who are interested in teaching their kids religions, any religion, can do that through private education. When students go to higher education, colleges and universities, they can study anything they want if it is their choice. Public schools by definition, is the main, free primary education for all. See the links below. While at school In Gaza and Jerusalem, my heart broke during the religion class every time my colleagues who happen to be Christians would leave the classroom and go to another classroom. This should not happen; no one should ever feel different based on religion, race, color, cultural background, language, gender, etc. Maybe the logistics demanded this situation, but the style and the procedures matter. That practice existed and probably still exists in The Middle East even in private schools. Still, public schools are different, they are usually funded completely by the taxpayers’ money and it is for all. I agree that students from other religions had their religious teaching but the point I want to make is that those who happen to be Christians had to leave the classroom, and not us the Muslims, why? Because they were few students, less than 5% sometimes of the class population. This was humiliating. Now, maybe if we all had to leave that class and go somewhere else, maybe the picture would have been easier to swallow. Again, people will differ about the role of religions in society, I think religious schools can exist and should exist in any society as parallel to the public education. In the United States, you can send your children to any kind of schools as long as it is authorized and licensed by the state. We have here Jewish schools, Christian schools, Muslims, Hindu, etc.


In Cairo University, also, the non-Muslims were required to go through Islamic laws and the Quran teaching concerning the legal system classes because it is part of the legal system. Again, what if a society decides with their 100% free well that they want the religion to be part of the system and that they want the religion to be taught. In that case, religions in law schools for example must be taught to all because it is part of the legal system and has nothing to do with coercing a student to learn something that is not part of their beliefs.

During our Facebook discussion which actually was triggered by a piece of news that came from Egypt stating that there were acts in certain areas of forcing non-Muslims to read and memorize verses of the Quran. I replied stating if that practice exists, forcing nun-Muslims to read and memorize verses of the Quran, then this is a crime by itself in my book and it should immediately be banned and fought by all legal means.



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Read: http://arabamericanwire.blogspot.com/2010/04/public-education-in-united-state.html
http://arabamericanwire.blogspot.com/2010/04/education-in-arab-world-by-jamil-shawwa.html ...

Public Education in the United States... Political Analysis by Jamil Shawwa

In Brown Vs. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954), The Warren Court, in reference to Earl Warren, the United States Supreme Court Chief Justice, the *Court declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students and denying black children equal educational opportunities unconstitutional. That ruling at that time reestablished The United States Supreme Court active role in shaping and reshaping the nature of the political system in America. Public education movement started in my opinion from that day on. In 1957, President Eisenhower used the ultimate federal power by sending troops to Little Rock, Arkansas- Hometown of Bill Clinton- to open the road and the path for nine black students to attend an all white public school. That action has not been done since reconstruction that followed the civil war between the south and the north. President Kennedy in the early 60s did something similar. All these historic events were the foundations to the current public school system that we have now here in the United States. The system politically is not perfect yet, states specially in the south until now tries to rezone certain districts to avoid just appealing as discriminatory, making sure to try to avoid a one ethnic public schools. Of course, it is there now but not based on segregation among ethnic groups but mainly due to the demographics. **The public school system provides the rights to all children in America to have a free education until grade 12, or the end of high school. The system is run by the states with overall ***legal supervision and monetary influence from the federal government. The education concept in America is different than any other country or at least it's purpose is highlighted in a way that you do not find in any other society as ****Jeanne Lombardo explains and I quote "Yet, many Americans also believed that too much learning might set one citizen above another, thus violating the democratic ideals that education was supposed to promote. Education should, in the minds of ordinary people, be geared to provide direct practical benefits. It should focus on providing training for a livelihood. Anything beyond that was considered elite." when I first went to school, then college, and then to the graduate school, my goal really was to obtain the degrees but the concept above makes all the sense. Education is not a goal by itself or it should not be a goal by itself, it is a vehicle to a goal, better living, more enjoyment and giving back to the community that you live in and personal prosperity. Our public schools though the concept is excellent; the practice is not. The system is falling behind in many states and within each state for many reasons. Teachers are not inspiring children as they used to do, they are worried rightly so in part about there livelihood, schools can downsize and either relocate teachers, moving them to part time or laying them off. Some teachers as here in the District of Columbia, Washington DC, have been fighting to keep the tenure system, which in a way provides employment for life though many are not qualified. Michelle A. Rhee, Washington DC School Chancellor has been pioneering this effort of breaking the tenure system. I know Washington DC and I know some other areas, and I know the teachers and I know that the system needs to be reformed.

*****"Waiting For Superman" a movie that tells the stories of many children across metro areas in America as Washington DC, Los Angeles, and New York City that focused on the deteriorating state of our public schools system across the country. It shows stories about kids who could not read or do math and it shows according to it's writer, see footnote below, how our kids are getting depressed because the system is telling them that they are below average and that they can not keep up and that they are in a sense do not belong here. Our kids are suffering; the way we grade our first grade and second grade kids is appalling, so complicated that when I looked at my daughter's report card I got shocked, first I did not understand and had to bring an interpreter, the wife, who said that she does not recall having the same thing when she was a kid and then I went to my regular teacher-parent conference and that teacher looked at me as if I was coming from outer space or some sort of an alien. The kids in second grade are judged based on 14 categories, again, I, with two law degrees could not understand who is the genius or the lunatic, it depends on how you look at things, which came up with such system. What are we trying to do here, are we trying to create a super human, and are we trying to outcast any child that might appear as normal or not genius.

I had lunch today with a gracious lady friend who told me that her relative's 12 years old daughter was required to do an Excel sheet with graphs and point markers, what is that, and present a power point presentation. Ok, we need to compete and we need to be the best in everything but at what price, and if we are doing it, are we succeeding, and if we have been succeeding, why are we importing scientists and medical experts, doctors and nurses from all over the world to cover the shortage we have here. I must though intercept myself here to state that America has and will always be the place that will attract people from all over the world to come and succeed. This is how America was built and this is part of America’s genius, it is really the melting pot of all human civilizations. After that interception, I have to say that to continue that strategy, we must as well take care of those at home and continue to promote a solid inspiring education. The kids are afraid and they should not, the teachers are worried and sometimes not qualified and they should not. One more thing, to those mad geniuses that created the grading system and the report cards and all these psychological tests to check the abilities of our normal kids, I have one or two words, get a life.


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* wikipedia

**wikipedia-Public education can also be post-secondary education, advanced education, or universities, colleges, .... University Press of America. ISBN 0-7618-3331-5.

*** States have to comply with the constitution of the United States and federal court decisions and federal laws.

**** suite101.com

***** http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/04/what_to_fight_for_in_americas.html

*A Journey in a Woman's mind...by Jamil Shawwa

She is confused,

She is angry

She does not know what to do

She thinks that she is in love

Nevertheless, she does not know how to handle

He is different,

He is stubborn

He is strong, or maybe he thinks he is

She is weak, or maybe she thinks that she is weak

She thinks that he is strong

She might have misunderstood his kindness as a sign of
Weakness

She has someone that she does not love

Or she thinks that she does not love

She is bored with her life or thinks that she is

She is confused, but not desperate, she fluctuates and
changes her mind faster than a bird switching or flying from tree to tree, or a crazy driver swaying from lane to lane, not knowing where to go or how to go...

She is not willing to enjoy the ride or the Journey. She is only looking for the destination.

She does not know that in order to reach the destination, you must go through the Journey

She might have finally realized that she is best if she is left to the way she is, no change needed, change is difficult, and sometimes it is just not needed. She prefers security to happiness.

He wishes her the best, and wishes her love and stability; she deserves them, every human does.


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*Disclaimer:
For entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance with any real life situations or people is just a mere coincidence. These conversations are not related to any specific person or persons. They are general human observations from life.

*I have a Headache; I am not in the Mood.......by Jamil Shawwa

She: I am not in the mood

He: you are never in the mood, not sure what to do

She: not sure what to do with what? The lovemaking or me?

He: well, now this is a cheap shot. I meant you. No problem there in the lovemaking.

She: try new things, you always do your routine, I am bored.

He: well, why do not you be creative this time and try to finesse me...

She: Not in the mood, I have a headache

He: oh, yeah, the headache story...again, it is the oldest trick in the book

She: what do you mean; you think I am lying, and what book are you talking about?

He: The lovemaking book, anyway, but it has been a month since you have been having these headaches, maybe you should examine your head_ he is saying that maliciously, he means her mental status.

She: no, I am ok, it comes and goes... and I got the real meaning by the way, do not try to be clever.

He: yes, it comes and goes when I come and it goes when I leave the bed. I notice things, you know, I am not completely blind as you think.

She: well, you have to live with it.

He: until when

She: until I am in the mood

He: oh, very kind of you, so you want me to be on a leash, a poppy dog, you call and cuddle when you are in the mood and kick away and lock somewhere when you are not in the mood. Well, no more.

She: no, honey.

He: please do not honey me; I have not tasted it for over a month and it all because of you

She -maliciously-: I have few Jars in the kitchen; help yourself.

He: oh, thanks a million, I live here and I do not know where the honey is

She: you asked

He: you know what I meant; stop playing mind games

She: I do not understand; I am not excited anymore, I mean, I do not get excited easily anymore.

He: why don't you take some hormones, they might help, even you

She: even me, ok, I will let it pass this time. It is not the hormones, I checked, I am ok.

He: well, then, this left only one other reason for your condition, maybe... me.

She: I do not know, it is not the same

He: the same! You just said that you do not want to do it because it is the same routine, now you are saying that you do not want to do it because it is not the same... I think we might need to test your mental status, Love.

She: Love... you have not called me love in quite some time

He: I have been calling you, but you have not been listening, you see my lips moving but you do not hear me. You look at me and I am just a ghost.

She: honey, stop it, not sure what happened but I am starting to feel your words in my ears, your picture is getting clearer, I see the real you. Baby, it seems that the headache is gone all of a sudden, not sure why, I'm starting to feel my body more; it is talking back to me, it is urging me to do something, it is kicking all over. I am starting to notice things in you that I have not seen in quite some time, at least from this angle. Go ahead, use the same routine, and do not change a thing...

He: well, I am...

She: Shush, turn off the lights and wrinkle the sheets.

He: Yes, Ma'am



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*Disclaimer:
For entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance with any real life situations or people is just a mere coincidence. These conversations are not related to any specific person or persons. They are general human observations from life.

*State of Love....by Jamil Shawwa

She: you cannot love me

He: why

She: because you do not love me, you love the woman inside me

He: same thing

She: No, I am unique, I am me, nobody else, but the woman in me is found in every woman

He: I am afraid that you have lost me...maybe I am not smart enough to follow this complicated logic and philosophy

She, smiling: that we know.... when you look at me, you do not see me, when you touch me, you do not touch me, when you make love to me, it is not with me.

He: I am listening

She: it is the female that you are seeking, it is the joy that you have in the company of women..This is your life; I am just one that happened to be passing by you. You did not find me; you stumbled by me. I see it in every minute you spend with me or when I am away from you.

He: you are giving me more credits than I deserve, that is if we want to consider what you just said a credit.

She: maybe, you love every woman on earth, you enjoy the touch of any woman, and you would love to make love to every female body. When you go to places, your eyes are all over the place, it is so embarrassing, to me I mean, not you, you love it. I feel your love but I do not feel special, I do not feel unique, I just feel a number and not a human. Probably if I leave now and another woman passes by your table, you would invite her and continue the conversation we had just before I left but not with me, with her, as if nothing has changed and as if no new woman, another woman is setting with you and not me. How can I feel unique if I know that this is the way you feel. I do not want to be a number, I want to be yours, but I cannot stay with you if you cannot remember my name

He: your name is....

She: see, I told you, you could not even say it. You just love love.
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*Disclaimer:
For entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance with any real life situations or people is just a mere coincidence. These conversations are not related to any specific person or persons. They are general human observations from life.

Education in The Arab World.... by Jamil Shawwa

In my opinion, and I lived in couple of places in The Middle East and The Arab World, that, well, probably again as in any society in the world, education starts with the family and then schools. The main problem in the education system in the Arab world is that it is so centralized and so under the complete and sole responsibilities of the governments. There are of course private schools as anywhere else, but the focus of this piece here is on public education. Schools in the Arab world are not schools but are shelters to put the children in, open their brains and pour the information, then close the brains on anything else. There is no creativity and there is no training on how to think. The education should be based on the following, and I am talking from my own experience with the education in four places: Gaza, Jerusalem, Cairo, and the United States:
1- Free education for all up to 12th grade, secondary school. Decentralized the schools to accept funds, and donations and create a parallel PTA system- Parents Teachers Association to monitor and support the school system. Public schools in America are free until the end of high school. PTAs help schools be better, raise funds, participate in school activities and maintain the schools physically with the help of the local governments, the state and the county.
2- No more, free higher education. My law school in Cairo University was like a warehouse and not a place for enlightenment. Once, I had -arguably- a mentally retarded dean by the name of Dr. Noman Gomaa, who became later the chairman of Al-Wafd political party and then was kicked out for trying to dictate and at some point violently his ways on the party; he was calling for democracy and he was the ultimate dictator. While he was dean of law school at Cairo University, he banned us, the students, from entering the main entrance of the main building and ordered the staff to administer the student work through windows from the outside. This dean is not the exception. Egypt's example applies probably to every Arab country; I mentioned it because I happened to study there and not to pick on the country. Egypt has contributed tremendously to the overall modernity in the Arab world and it continues to do so.
3- Free, the government or the state owned universities, meaning, create board of trustees to run the universities as in all advanced societies. The board of Trustees is responsible to raise funds and establish the overall policies. This type of universities- as in the US- though technically established and funded by public funds, it is chartered to run its own affairs and it has complete independence under the overall general guidelines of the state.
4- Allow, based on a credential process, the establishment of private schools. It exists right now in almost every Arab country but it needs to be more encouraged.
5- Most importantly and hopefully, as in any advanced society, companies and individuals once they see the transparency and the credibility of the school system, would donate funds for their schools and colleges. Business people and private companies and organizations are not encouraged to donate, they feel that their donations might open a can of warms as for the source of their fortunes. In a culture that believes in conspiracy theories, self-doubt and random and baseless accusation, people with means to contribute are extremely discouraged. Education is a lifetime process, it starts through the parents or the guardians from the moment the child opens its eyes to the end. In between the start and the end, there are many stages, schools are the spine of education, straighten the spine and the whole body will be straight and healthy.

*Wife Says: Words, words, words, and more words….you only give me words….by Jamil Shawwa

He: It is my turn to speak up now; enough silence and enough complacency. You have no feelings.
She: wow, someone is up early this morning, I wish though if it was the other thing, my little thing..
He: yes, I am up and I am not going down until I get justice around this house or something. Oh, please, and what are you talking about that other thing, you have no shame, it is always ready but it does not have the right key to turn it on.
She: do not play the victim part here, do not use what you think is a political skill that you have; you do not, to turn the tables upside down.
He: you cannot blame me for revolting, all these years of no communications, no talk, even when it was done, the thing you know, it was so mechanical, no feelings and no warmth.
She: well, you need to warm me up.
He: oh, God, not again, you set there do nothing and except me to warm you up. Please work with me here.
She: you lost interest; you do not like me anymore. Your interests are somewhere else, far away or maybe close, not sure.
He: all this love, that is it, no use, I do not know what to say. There is one word remaining in my dictionary that I am very hesitant to use.
She: go ahead, have the guts to use it, you are afraid, you know that I have the same word but I have the guts to use and so far decided not to.
He: you do not deserve it, you never did.
She: what; it seems that we are talking about different words. Ok, I have an idea, let us write our words on paper and open them up together and see if we both have the same word.
He: ok, here goes nothing
She: oh, God, I cannot believe it, maybe we should not play this game.
He: let me see what you wrote. Aha, I knew it, your word was Divorce me, and my word was; I love you. Well, that is it I guess, no more peace efforts, no more negotiations, and no more nice and little talk. The time is now, either now or never..
She: ok, ok stop it, lunch is ready.
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*Disclaimer:
For entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance with any real life situations or people is just a mere coincidence. These conversations are not related to any specific person or persons. They are general human observations from life.

*Divorce Socrates Wife.....by Jamil Shawwa

Socrates wife was very famous, not as famous as her husband was, the great Greek philosopher but she was famous. She was well known not for enriching the world with science and philosophy but for her terrible temper, bad manners and the daily dose of mental torture of which she used to supply her husband.

Some claim that if it were not for her mental torture and abuse, he would not have been the great philosopher who gave humanity a wealth of information on all subjects of life; Theories historians and modern scientists built on. He was famous of trying to get answers to anything and everything, loved to argue and discuss, of course, this style did not set well with the wife.

I do not want to judge Socrates wife, I was not there to witness the treatment. Maybe he was terrible with her, maybe he never understood her, maybe she was very demanding -or not at all- in bed and elsewhere, and he did not enjoy making love with her, maybe his type of women are different.

Again, the maybes go on and on. The main issues here, regardless if it was his or hers, that there have been problems and the problems are, why we humans or some of us at least keep associate ourselves with people who torture us, mentally I mean. Why do we stick with them? Why Socrates did not divorce his wife, and why she did not ask for a divorce, maybe she did, I am not sure.

We tend to accept the norms, we tend to stay with what we think is secure; probably we do not know any better or mostly we are lazy to make a change, that is sometimes a drastic however so important change.

A woman who does not love her companion once said that she is with him until someone else or better comes along. What logic is this and what character is hers. That woman is not alone, probably most of us share the same mentality or opportunistic approach, and that is why most people are still married or in relationships.

We tend to accept the comfortable, and to accept destiny without questioning. Again, it is laziness more than anything else-in my opinion, probably that is the main thing, or there are other people that depend on the relationship to continue. Socrates was the exception to the rule, we are not; we are just normal humans.

Mr. Putin Runs Moscow.....by Jamil Shawwa

A relative once told me: Son,  Intelligence Services rule the world. This statement is at least true when it comes to the star of this article, the former KGB officer and the former Russian president and the current Prime Minister of Russia under his protégé the Russian president Medvedev, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.

Putin has become a Russian phenomenon. People of Russia love him, trust him, and in the same time are afraid even to question him not out of fear but out of the unknown. the Russians have used since and before the Bolshevik revolution to have a father figure to run the country, the Cesar was until the bloody communist revolution erupted in 1917 and ended the Romanov Family reign of power and it continued with the communists.

Mr. Putin is what some writers and philosophers refer to as the "just dictator" that societies are willing to surrender some of their rights to that one person who they can trust that will provide the basics for them, shelter and security.

I think Russia is moving away from this social contract. Putin will continue to govern the Russian Federation either as number one or number two or he might just at some point withdraws from the scene once he feels comfortable about the stability of Russia.

I was talking the other day with a Russian, originally Ukrainian, woman at work and she said that she does not think that Putin wants to be president again, she said that she believes that he is more comfortable in being the king maker rather than the king himself. I am not sure that I agree completely with her views, I think he might run for president again after the term of Mr. Medvedev ends in 2012. He after all might not follow the conventional wisdom.

Prime Minister Putin has succeeded to a certain degree in stabilizing Russia after the transitional period of president Yeltsin. He controlled to a certain degree but to a comfortable degree the outlaws that run havoc of the country kidnapping and killing the innocent and each other.

Moscow and Russia are much safer right now more than they have been through  the first few years following the collapse of communism, the departure of the last communist president, Gorbachev and the reign of Boris Yeltsin.

Still, investors need to have more rule of law to invest heavily in Russia and more due process to ensure that the mood swings no longer exist and that capital can invest freely without the fear of a government takeover or confiscation.

Putin and the Russian government control directly or indirectly the oil section and it will continue for a while; it is in their opinion the lifeline of Russia. In the United States, our oil companies are controlled by their boards of directors, in Russia Putin is the board of directors.

The most recent and ongoing challenges for Putin have been the terrorists coming from Chechnya and this is Russia's focus now. The terrorists can be defeated, it is not a dreamer's wish, but it is a reality, however, their defeat cannot be done by ignoring the basic needs of Chechnya's and the other republics that felt for ages that the central government in Russia treats them like, correctly so, third class citizens. Russia and Putin must embrace diversity and by doing that, he will isolate the terrorists. Terrorism strives in unjust societies; it feeds on the suffering of the masses. Cut that carbon monoxide from the people, the masses, allow the oxygen to come in their veins and the terrorists will disappear. This is not wishful thinking, it is a way that deserves to be tried and examined.

Russia is a vast country with multiple ethnic groups, republics, cultures. Putin's job is to recreate the Russian identity and build bridges and tunnels to connect the country. He can do that maybe by living to the name of Russia, The Russian Federation, by creating the states system as we have here in the Untied States with each state having an elected governor and parliament to run its affairs while the federal government maintains the overall harmony and sovereignty.

With the state system, you can have a federal government, a federal high court and a federal police and military. Each state, again as in the US, will have its own local state and county law enforcement powers and local or state high court. This system if done and agreed upon in a referendum would ensure Russia's future and will establish Putin as a world and historic leader. I think, as little as I know, that Putin has the seeds to be a great leader, he has the charisma, the experience, the temperament and the popularity. What else does Putin need, one thing, action and actual  show of leadership.

Call Me Anything But Do Not Call Me Sir... by Jamil Shawwa

I knew that I got older or old, it depends how you and I look at things, when a 20 years old girl called me Sir at a restaurant here nearby the job. I went to my usual place but not in my usual time, and the place was packed by, yes, you guessed it, young people or younger people, couples around 20 something, beautiful girls but all hooked, there was not even one for Jamil to look at just as at least an appetizer. Any way, I sat on my usual booth only for one but on that day I did not get my usual waitress, everything is crumbling around me, I tell you. Instead, I got her mother, a fine Vietnamese woman who was the most gracious. I went ahead and ordered the usual, but the place and the people looked unusual. I was probably the oldest in the crowd, I even felt some eyes looking towards me not with admiration but with some sort of “what is Daddy doing here, go away". I ignored all the looks, and focused on my food until the kids, see I'm old, I'm calling them kids, next table decided to play a little, so the boyfriend threw something at his girlfriend but it did not hit her, what is she thinking, still keeping that boyfriend, is she crazy, instead it landed perfectly next to me in my booth. I looked a little to see what is going on, and the guy looked up to me and apologized saying sorry Sir, then his beautiful companion made it worse, when she gave me a very sensual, alarming swing from her eyes and said with a heavenly voice, Sorry... Sir. I said any time; I meant to say no problem. That is it with me, call me anything you need, but do not call me Sir. To make the story short, I will continue to go to that restaurant; maybe the girls will bring their Moms.

Mr. Brown's Magnum Opus by Jamil Shawwa

The news coming from Great Britain is mixed, no clear picture yet as when the next parliamentary election will be held, though some news is indicating May 8 as the date.

The other piece of information that came from England in the past few days is that the conservative party- Tory- lead by Mr. Cameron has hired the international advertising firm Saatchi to revamp the party's campaign and put life back to the momentum that the conservatives few months ago thought they had to win the next elections.

The polls indicating that the Labour party is closing the gap quickly which makes it an election difficult to predict right now? The third piece of information is the announcement from the biggest tabloid newspaper, The Sun, supporting for the first time the conservative ticket rather than the Labour.

These three pieces if put together- aside from the Sun endorsement- would definitely tell us that Mr. Brown who everyone thought would be another John Major- the prime minister that succeeded Margaret Thatcher in the early 90s- might pull a big surprise and win the next elections.

If he wins, it would be one of the biggest surprises in Britain in generations. I say that for the following reasons: Mr. Brown succeeded the charismatic Tony Blair in a time that the Labour party has been in office for three terms, and one thing about the British is that they like change, probably as any other developed and democratic country, but also the British like to pump new blood in their political life. Tony Blair, as Margaret Thatcher before him, though won the elections did not stay in power for all the terms; the parties do not like to have leaders who stay too long even if they were winning leaders. The second reason is that Mr. Brown governs Britain in a time of economic downturn, housing market is down as in the US, unemployment rising and third which was a big one few months ago but started to lose steam as time goes by is the British participation in the war in Iraq.

These in my opinion are the main reasons that will shape and are shaping the next elections. The other sidetrack was the discovery of a financial scandal that rocked some members of the Labour party whom the news reported accepted bribes or gifts from lobbying groups to pass some projects.

Again, David Cameron does not come across as Margret Thatcher did when she brought down the Labour government and then broke down the solid influence the Labour unions England had prior to her won.

The times anyway are different. Mr. Brown had a guiding light on his side in Alistair Darling, the chancellor of the Exchequer- equivalent to the secretary of the treasury here in the US and usually the number two in the British government hierarchy- who is very articulate, besides the point right now if what he says stands correct or not, and very methodological in his thoughts.

I saw Mr. Darling the other day in a session of the House of Commons broadcasted on C-Span and I was amazed from the attention he got while talking, not only from his party but also from the conservatives, they were all just staring at the person.

In politics and in England this can be the ticket to win the elections. Probably, millions of people all over the UK who are ready to reshape the political map of England also noticed what I have noticed.

I hate to do this, but I am going to do it, and probably I am swimming against the tide or just being so naive that I think a speech from a politician would really make a difference but I think the Labour party might be on the verge of winning the elections. What Mr. Brown lacks in charisma, he does not have it, I used to change the channel when he first came to office, he compensates in steady political temperament and noticeable perseverance.

He withered all the storms since Blair left office, and he absorbed like a sponge the committee to investigate the Iraq war, the financial collapse, the scandals within his party and the multiple resignations of different cabinet members in the past year.

Mr. Brown reminds me in looks and in political shrewdness with our former president Richard- Dick-Nixon without the paranoia and the Watergate scandal. I even want to go further to say that he now looks more confident than Richard Nixon ever was.

Mr. Brown has Mr. Darling, if he wins, whom he needs to keep but revamp the cabinet, maybe change the foreign minister and other key members. He needs to continue to talk about how he has the plan to left Britain from the financial downturn and polish the dust off its status. He also might need to tackle the complete participation in the monetary system with the EU. Mr. Brown does not want Germany to be the only dealmaker in Europe.

*How to Train Your Dragon ........ Critical Review by Jamil Shawwa

The story of this movie begins with a new generation of Vikings prepare to take over the profession of their forbearers, hunting, torturing, and chasing dragons all over the universe. The star of the movie, a boy by the name of Hiccup was not into this business, and therefore was ignored in the first quarter of the movie. He felt that he was different; he had questions about this profession. The story continues with Hiccup as he stumbles with a notorious dragon that could not fly, so he attends to it and created an artificial wing for this dragon. Hiccup called this fearless creature, Toothless. He thought in the beginning that the dragon did not have teeth. The dragon felt the love, and Hiccup kept this relationship hidden from the other Vikings who ridiculed him for not being a real Viking. The story evolved to the point that the secret was uncovered and the decisive moment came when Hiccup threw his weapons and in a show refused to kill any of the caged dragons. His father disavowed him. Hiccup questioned the methods and this way of life and decided that enough bloodshed and enough killings. In a conversation with his father, Hiccup said that the time has come to make peace with the dragons and the father answered but how can we do that and they killed thousands of us, Hiccup answered that we did the same. Hiccup managed at some point to help the Vikings change their way when the dragons nest was uncovered and every one found out that the dragons themselves were hostages to a zealous dragon who kept them jailed in the mountain. While the Vikings were chasing the dragons in that mountain, they released them but angered the zealous dragon. The story keeps going on to show a new alliance between the Vikings and the dragons in the fight against that monster dragon. The story is well done and the visual effects were marvelous, though I opted to watch the cheaper version, no 3D, but still was fantastic. The bottom line is this, everything is possible, and the enemies of yesterday can be allied today. It takes sometimes one courageous person to change the world and the mindset, that person in that story was a weak underachiever, ignored boy by the name of Hiccup.

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* check link to movie trailer at the end of this page.

Germany To The Rescue......by Jamil Shawwa

Germany has just lead- with France- the European Union to create a monetary package to rescue the financially struggling Greece into some sort of an economic relief. The news also indicated that the EU countries agreed on Germany's demand to have the IMF- International Monetary Fund headquartered here in Washington DC- to be involved in the process. I do not have details yet about the technical terms of the deal but the symbols are more important, in my opinion. What an irony, over sixty five years ago, Germany, hijacked by a criminal minded gangs, the Nazis- dragged the world and humanity to disaster, invaded Europe in the name of German purity and refused any offers for peace and inclusion. Now, today, Germany insists, despite the opposition of some European Union members, to include the world community in the financial efforts to rescue a member country. Other European countries wanted to keep this affair within the EU, Germany said no; the world must witness and approve. Things have evolved dramatically for this nation. Germany's creativity and leadership abilities are shaping Europe's present and will continue to contribute peacefully to world efforts. The Germans though are very smart, they still did not want to come across- wisely, so- as leading Europe or as if, they are intervening in another European's country affairs by offering easy money or immediate loans. Germany until the last minute continued to insist that Greece has to meet certain economic conditions to qualify for this rescue package and that there must be an involvement from the world community represented by the IMF to ensure that this process is not an isolationist process or regional process. Smart move from the New Germany.

*Who Are You......by Jamil Shawwa

Background: She tries repeatedly to test him. However, maybe she is fed- up. Let us see.
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She: Who are you..

He: oh, please, not again, I give up; I do not get it

She: you never did sweetie but anyway let us move on.. Maybe there is still hope to reform you.

He: ok, I will go along, whispering, I guess I have no choice, it has been a while, and I need to be nice to her...

She: you are like a man with a thousand faces, I do not know whom Am I going to see tomorrow.

He: a thousand face! You are complimenting me, I wish.

She: your mood swings and habits are just too much

He: You know, honey, you just criticize, you set in that Ivory tower of yours, looking down at me and just give a daily doze of these things that I really can not understand or comprehend

She: you know why I do that, because I am a woman, and you know why you do not understand or do not want to understand, because you are a man...

He: so you really think that we men are and to say it as politely as possible, dumb...

She: this is the least to say, this is the best thing you have said since we started these conversations.

He: I really feel honored to be called dumb by you. Remember, few days ago I was just a mere Jackass. I am climbing the ladder.

She: or maybe you are just going down the ladder, depends on my mood.

He: ok, you win, I can not take it anymore" he is acting because again the goal is to reach the Promised Land"

She: ok, stop, you sound so fake and pathetic, I already told you that I am not in the mood...

He: I am speechless, do you think I am being nice for a purpose, for a goal, for the destination and not the journey. Do you think that I'm saying what I’m saying and doing what I’m doing just to feel your warm and hospitable body, to smell the roses coming out of your nest... you are crazy

She: hospitable body, what is that? Do you think my body is a hotel, an airport runway, planes touch down and fly. You are such an obnoxious pig.

He: yes, darling, you are hospitable and you are like a hotel and you are like a runway, but you are only hospitable to me, and I am your only plane on the runway and I am your only hotel guest.

She: so pathetic...

He: the night is young...


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*Disclaimer:
For entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance with any real life situations or people is just a mere coincidence.
These conversations are not related to any specific person or persons. They are general human conversations from life.

Barack Obama Vs. Martin Luther King ... by Jamil Shawwa

In a health care rally here in Virginia, few miles away from Washington DC, president Obama made one of the last pitches for the American people to put pressure on their elected officials in the House and The Senate to pass a health care reform that the president and the democrats feel is vital to their success politically and their chances to maintain control in congress as well as for the president to win because it was one of the main platforms that he ran on and won in 2008. Having said the latter does not minimize the importance of having a universal health care for all Americans that many presidents since Harry Truman after World War II felt the country needs but continues to be blocked by a conservative point of view lead by the republican party and other right wing groups that feel that this process is another democratic scheme to have a bigger government, more control over the people and more leftist approach. President Obama in that speech at George Mason University did not sound to me like the Obama that ran for office in 2008 and the man that won the minds and hearts of not only Americans across the United States and the world but sounded like the great 50s and 60s civil rights leader Martin Luther king. Here is the problem in my opinion; he should never even try to sound like him, he was elected as the unique Barack Obama and no one else. In the speech, he sounded more like a preacher than a smart futuristic and energetic politician that again won our minds and hearts in 2008. If he tries to be a preacher with some sort of higher moral authority or as if he is here on earth on a mission from God, he should stop now, and he should not proceed. If the American people including myself start to equate president Obama with anyone else except the unique, smart and energetic Obama, then he will lose the next election in 2012. The president should be very careful not to be anyone else but himself. Again, we did not elect him because he was black, or because we felt guilty of the treatments of the blacks and minorities in the past in the United States, but we elected him because he is unique in the way he came across as a different type of politician. Maybe he was fortunate to come in this era and at this time of economic distress and wars that our country is facing abroad not to mention the ongoing war against terrorism, but still he should just look at himself in the mirror every morning and repeat after me, I'm Barack Obama and not Martin Luther king.

Concepts and Cultures. Part III: Croissant for Breakfast by Jamil Shawwa

Who does not like croissant in the morning, who does not like to dip it in an Earl Grey tea or freshly brewed coffee, who does not like to open it in the middle or just cut pieces and stuff it with fresh butter and Jam, who does not like the view of croissant basket. To me, a basket of freshly made, freshly baked croissant is like having real morning roses at the table, to me mornings and croissant go hand in hand and side by side. I had croissant everywhere I went and lived but I am going to mention few places where I had memorable croissant and breakfast in general. I was born in the American University- AUB- Hospital in Beirut, Lebanon, my mother, God bless her, is originally Lebanese, now Lebanese- American, and my first memory of a breakfast was at my grandmother’s house few blocks from the Mediterranean sea where every morning you would smell croissant and the toasted French baguette sliced just right, the way I like it, with a platter of few kinds of cheeses including the best Haloum, fresh mint, the way I like it too, and tea, must be Earl Grey and nothing else. I never lived in Lebanon but used to visit the family every summer until 1975 when Lebanon lost it's humanity and engaged in a civil war that showed the real and ugly face of some groups there for over 15 years, but this is not the *subject today. In Gaza, at my mothers of course but also at the **Hummus, fool and the falafel places. Another fantastic place, In Tel-Aviv with the famous Israeli breakfast everywhere, it is amazing in Israel, same breakfast style, of course different layers of elegance among the various places there, but you will find a remarkable buffet breakfast in the bus station and in the nicest hotels such as the King David in Jerusalem or the Tel-Aviv Hilton on the Mediterranean. In Cairo, wow, as well, but maybe the best breakfast in Cairo was my aunt- God bless her soul who married a distinguished Egyptian gentleman, God bless his soul too- breakfast, with the aroma of the fava beans-Fool- boiled eggs, various kinds of cheeses, of course croissant, and other stuff. Another place was at the Ramses Hilton- by the way, I am talking the Middle East up to 1990, when I was last there- In Amman-Jordan at also my aunt house with the labana- thick creamy cheese, and the cheese from Nablus, in the West Bank. In Paris, everywhere, you can grab a croissant on the move. I went so far once to Paris. I first had croissant at le Fouquet's at the corner of les Champs-Elysées and avenue Georges V. and then then had a great lunch there- the best potato purée I had in my life with roasted baby lamp chops- do not get me started, and later went to a Lebanese restaurant for a shawerma sandwich across from the Four Seasons Georges V hotel. I used to afford to travel, not like now, but hopefully the US econmony and mine will be getting better soon. You find croissant almost everywhere in the world, same shape but different tastes, I guess it is as life, life is the same, humans are the same, we all have the same human concept but we are different and in our difference, we must celebrate life. Start your morning with croissant and Earl Grey tea, and maybe you will feel better.

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*Search Lebanon in this blog.
** Small breakfast shops that made all the ingredients fresh every morning. Hummus is mashed check peas, Fool is fava beans, Falafel is mixed parsley and other vegetables that are made in the shape of small balls and fried in hot oil. Google for specific information.

Hiphugger Vs. Jockey by Jamil Shawwa

Hiphugger: you ignorant, you called me hiphunger in a previous article.
**Jockey: Until now, I do not know what is this hiphugger, do you hug the hip or what.
Hiphugger: see, I am wasting my time chatting with an old fashion like you. Wake up and smell the...
Jockey: smell what, you?
Hiphugger: you wish
Jockey: listen, I have to be honest here, to me you are just a barrier, an obstacle
Hiphugger: obstacle to what you narrow minded uptight short
Jockey: I like open spaces and open tunnels, I am not used to see all this stuff.
Hiphugger: please, you should see the admiration I get everywhere I go.
Jockey: they do not admire you; they admire what you hide
Hiphugger: typical you, only one thing in your mid, how to conquer, how to throw me out
Jockey: I am really starting to see a side of you that was not clear to me
Hiphugger: what side
Jockey: I have never appreciated the fact that you protect very valuable assets that you take care of the little things in life, that you feel the pain of the monthly visit and that you have to be pulled up and down many times a day.
Hiphugger: well, you know, I have to do what I have to do.
I mean you work hard too.
Jockey: I guess...
Hiphugger: it is peace then
Jockey: what kind of peace are you offering?
Hiphugger: that we do not make fun of each other, that we respect our boundaries and the assets that we protect, that you do not act like an animal every time you see me.
Jockey: oh my God, how could I resist you, how could stay away from you, how could I stop looking at you, how could I not try to pull a trick or two to convince you to share with me the assets that you are hiding. You are asking me to be someone else, you are asking me to be inhuman, you are asking for the impossible
Hiphugger: I said it before and I will say it again, no peace with you, no treaty of mutual respect, you only think in one direction, you can not see what I see, you do not look at the brains but just at the body, you do not see the colors that I come with, the material that I'm made of, the protection that I give. You are such an animal, but I love you.
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* For Entertainment purposes only.
** Jockey is trademark of Jockey undergarment.

Concepts and Cultures Part II: Garbage!

In the city I grew up in, we used to have as any city or place that has humans, garbage collectors who would come every day to collect the trash, empty the cans, and get their human counterparts ready for a new day and new garbage.

In my city right now, the picture is the same, in the morning, garbage collectors come over, not every day here, but twice a week, but you have to have a contract with a garbage collector otherwise you and your garbage are on your own. In the city I grew as a child and up to finishing High school, Gaza- garbage people or collectors were unfortunately and I am sad to say that either mentally retarded or act as mentally retarded to avoid the daily humiliation from the kids and adults who treated them as subhuman. I know that this concept does not belong only to Gaza but I am sure in other parts of the world as well. I have seen it in Cairo and other cities. I am comparing the garbage here in my country and city, the USA, and the garbage elsewhere. First garbage is garbage but people are not the same. Garbage is the same everywhere but humans differ from one place to another. Actually, I should say that humans are the same everywhere; it is the way we treat humans that differs from one place to another. Let me make it clearer here, to me, and I came to appreciate this fact later on, a garbage collector is as dignified and important as a doctor is, and I am talking a medical doctor. What is the difference, doctors try to cure our bodies and garbage collectors try to clean our homes from the human trash. Both doctors and garbage collectors are vital to our well- being, no one can deny this fact and if you do, try to take care of your garbage on your own for one week. Of course, I am talking here taking care of the garbage by disposing it in the right place and not leaving it in the street or dump it somewhere that it does not belong. Back to the garbage collectors, they come in the morning in trucks, in Cairo, we used to have them on donkeys- I think donkeys are banned now from the streets of Cairo and I know that Cairo still has a garbage problem despite all the efforts to find even foreign companies that are ready to clean Cairo from it's garbage or convince the dear people of Cairo to use plastic bags to place their trash instead of just dumping everything in the container itself and make it dirtier- and I forgot how it was in Gaza, maybe donkeys too. Poor donkeys, we use them to describe the worst mental thing in humans, stupidity, we say what a donkey, or Jackass, to describe our fellow humans, I know that I have described myself as a Jackass before, many times, but I did that to bring some respect or vice versa to the donkeys of this world. I must say that I have respect to this hard working animal. Again, back to the subject at hand- garbage- the collectors of human trash collects our physical trash but who collects our mental trash and who cleans our souls. See the problem here, besides my midlife crises that I'm talking about garbage, we have people that clean our houses, gardens, cars, planes, everything but I think there is one thing that you can not hire anyone else to clean for you except yourself which is you. I understand that you can hire beautiful girls to give a you a Turkish bath- never done it personally but heard of it- but who can clean you from the inside, no one except you. So let us show respect to the garbage collectors, let us say thank you to them from time to time, and let us not give them the looks of disgust as they are cleaning us, at least from the outside.

*Long live the Selfishness!.... by Jamil Shawwa

She: you are selfish
He: say something new, I heard this before..
She: what are you going to do about it?
He: nothing
She: I hate you
He: No, you do not.
She: yes, I do. I cannot believe that I am still talking with you
He: because I love you, and you love me
She: selfish...
He: How can a selfish loves so much
She: Because I make you happy
He: No way.
She: No way what, I do not make you happy?
He: No, I meant, no way, I am selfish
She: Again
He: How could a selfish loves so much, how could a selfish cares so much, can you answer this or these questions.
She: Yes, I can, I saw, I know, you only care to satisfy yourself and no one else, and by the way, you keep saying the same thing over and over again..
He: nonsense, in satisfying myself, I satisfy you, in caring about myself, I make you happy.
She: not really
He: what do you mean?
She: I am not happy
He: what...
She: I am not happy, you heard me
He: can you tell me why
She: because you are selfish
He: again with this broken record, you have nothing to say except for selfish
She: I am trying to find another word to describe you but I cannot find; selfish is just right.
He: you are still talking with me
She: I am trying to reform you
He: but why
She: see, you admit it; you admit that you need to be reformed
He: I admit nothing; I do not even recall this conversation
She: I hate you, you sound like a corrupt politician, and maybe you should go into politics
He: no way, I am not a politician, I hate politics, and I just cannot understand it
She: Yes, you do, you understand it, it fits you, and you are selfish
He: enough with selfish, cannot you come up with another word; have you lost all imagination that you just keep repeating yourself.
She: I am trying to get through you
He: why
She: I want to see if you have thick skin
He: why would you want me to have thick skin?
She: Because I love you and I want to make sure that you can handle me.

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*Disclaimer:
For entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance with any real life situations or people is just a mere coincidence.
These conversations are not related to any specific person or persons. They are general human conversations from life.

*Concepts and Cultures...........by Jamil Shawwa

Concepts- some might say or describe- are buckets where we store and channel our thoughts. Cultures are our backgrounds,also who we are now, we might be the product of many cultures past and present and future, our heritage and from there you can add education and other things that shape the way we think or act. I do not believe that there is any culture on earth right now that has not been influenced someway or somehow by other cultures or itself has not been exposed to the world around it. Explorers and people of courage have been through out history eager to look beyond their borders. This is how religions and science spread and this is how great countries were formed, from people looking for a better place, safer placer, opportunities for better living. All of us humans share these sentiments. We have our fears and our weaknesses; we also have our hopes and our strengths. The struggle between good and evil will continue as long as life itself continues. The concepts of good and evil are universe, all people believe in them but all of them interpret them differently. Enough vagueness, read below, this piece might help you think and see things from more than one lens and from more than one angle. Today, I’m talking about two concepts and two cultures; although I think and I know that they are so intertwined, so integrated and so interconnected but still both of them are voicing concerns that the other does not understand them. Here how it goes; In general, we must make it clear that there is a huge difference between Islam as one of the great three divine religions with Judaism and Christianity and the practice of the religion or the practice of the Muslims. You can say that you are a Muslim, Christian, or Jewish and commit atrocities in the name of the religion; that does not mean anything; it only means that you are evil and not your religion. Some people have risen what has been going on for years and years which is why the west looks this or that at Islam. In fact, I think people should stop using the West as a separate entity as the world in my opinion is no longer divided by west and east or north and south. In the era and age of youtube, Facebook, Twitter and others, we have all become the residents of one world though living physically in different locations. The problem is mutual, In the Arab and Muslim world; schools and culture for decades and until now have raised the children, those innocent creatures, to be afraid of everything that is foreign, everything that looks different. You have curriculums that depict progress as something to be feared. These powers of darkness know that their only chance to survive is to create a culture of suspicion that thrives on conspiracy theories to justify anything that goes wrong in the Arab world. Once you have open, transparent, and democratic societies, the urge to justify yourself or prove to others that you are a peace-loving person or country, would not be necessary. Actions will speak louder than words. On the other hand, the world now is so interconnected that people can see, those who can see, that there is a huge difference between faith with all its purity and actions committed by a minority in the name of that faith. In the same token, people here in The United States would stop questioning on "why they hate us", referring to the Muslims. “Why they hate us" has been the cover story of many magazines, such as Time, Newsweek, and The Economist since the terrorists attacks of 09/11/2001. I said it before and I will say it again, Muslims do not hate The US, they love it, but its is an envious love, it is the love of that sexy girl that you cannot have or you think that you can never have because you never tried. But seriously, we all understand, as I said in other articles, if you want to call them articles, that there are groups of individuals, and not Islam, that their goal is total destruction not only in the outside world but also in their own original countries because when you destruct, when your motive and goal are only to create state of chaos, then it comes to a point that the whole world would be your playground. The bottom line is this, dialogue, interconnections, and keeping the religions away from any accusations and just look at faith as a very private matter that has nothing to do with destruction, would really enable us all to fight terrorism better. It can be done. Again, we cannot be just dreamers, politics play a role and things usually evolve on formal levels based on politics and not how people feel. Still, people can make a difference and can minimize the ability of the few to terrorize and destruct the rest of the world.



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* I participated in discussions with friends on Facebook and thought to copy with some ads-on and modifications my side of these discussions into this blog. Might be interesting to some.

Mubarak of Egypt... by Jamil Shawwa

While President Mubarak of Egypt is in Germany recovering- as the media stated- from a gallbladder operation, the Egyptian people have never been in a state of anticipation for a new leadership the way they are right now. Mr. Mubarak has been in power since October 1981 when he succeeded the late president Anwar al-Sadat who was assassinated in a military parade in that year marking the 1973 war between Israel and Egypt. President Sadat is the one that started the peace process in the Middle East when he went to Israel in 1977 and couple of years later signed a peace treaty that resulted in Israel's withdrawal from Sinai that Israel gained after winning the 1967 six days war. President Mubarak is aging; he is over 82 years old with no apparent successor except for his son that almost all media considers either as the person that will inherit the power after his father's pass or in his father's life if Mubarak does not seek another term in 2011. President Mubarak is a shrewd and savvy politician. He helped and is helping to transform the Arab world in the direction of peace with Israel and has maintained his country's focus on its internal affairs trying to elevate his people standard of living, while making sure that the country is secure from within. His main challenge has been the strong Muslim Brotherhood organization that has been a household name in Egypt long before the military coup that toppled the monarchy in 1952 and established the military as the safe guard of modern, and to certain extend secular Egypt. President Mubarak came from the military, before Sadat appointed him as vice president in 1975; he was the top general in the Air Force and head the Egyptian air force during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. All indications show that if free elections were held in Egypt that the Muslim Brotherhood would control the parliament. Egypt is in sense like Turkey where the military is the guardian of the secular democracy even if a religious party governs. I personally not sure that Gamal Mubarak- the projected successor to his father- is ready to govern Egypt. One thing I am sure about President Mubarak is that he does not and will not let emotions run the show; he will not allow his son to govern unless there is some sort of a coalition within Egypt including the Muslim Brotherhood organization and the army that will allow the son to have a smooth transition besides making sure that the son is capable in leading such a country in the size and the status of Egypt. Egypt also as a regional power coordinates closely with The United States and will not act alone in the matter of whom will be the next president of Egypt. Egypt in my opinion is at a cross road, it is losing it's status and power in the Middle East to the new comers, the Muslim Sunni power lead by Turkey and the Muslim Shiite power lead by Iran. Both countries have much more influence in the Arab affairs than Egypt or Saudi Arabia. President Mubarak style in appointing persons to power has been known to be a thorough one. I noticed that style when he brought a retired general to succeed the very popular late minister of defense Field Marshal Abu-Ghazalah and when he brought a retired diplomat to succeed the then popular foreign minister, now the head of the Arab league, Amr Mousa. Back to the son, Gamal, his main problem is that he never been tested in an election and I know the Egyptian logic behind not allowing him to nominate himself in parliamentary elections; if he succeeds the people will say because he is the son of the president and if he fails, the people will say that the regime failed him to prove that there is free elections. I wrote about Egypt many times here and I said once that the main problem in Egypt is that it does not trust itself; it is the inferiority complex that has it thinking-incorrectly- that it is less than other countries, that it is poor. Egypt is not poor in resources, human or natural but Egypt might be poor in the way it thinks sometimes. Having said that Egypt since it's modern leader Muhammad Ali Pasha- an Albanian appointed by Turkey during the ottoman empire to govern the country in the mid 19th century and whose family governed until the military kicked them out of power in 1952 as I indicated earlier- has been a pioneer in the Middle East in all sorts of education, arts, medicine, and various industrial expertise. The Egyptian people are capable in reestablishing a modern Egypt again. The main strength and advantage of Egypt reside in its peace with Israel. Through that peace, Egypt is a regional power with influence in both the Arab and the Muslim worlds and over the Palestinians especially in the Gaza Strip that it governed until 1967. If Egypt capitalizes on this influence, the peace with Israel, then it will continue to have influence and maybe match to a certain extend that of Iran and Turkey. Finally, it is difficult for me to predict who will be the next president of Egypt, but again, claiming that I know how Mubarak thinks, I will not be surprised if he chooses someone else besides his son. He has surprised people before as I said above and I do not see why not keep surprising. The Egyptian people are eager for a new and strong leadership; Mubarak is aware of this fact.

Fashion and Style ....... by Jamil Shawwa

I did not know what to write until my seven years old daughter screamed all of a sudden and asked me or should I say hit me with a question. The question was what is the difference between fashion and style. For few moments, I went blank, did not how to answer specially that her mother was there, setting next to her and I thought that this might be a trick question or some sort of a female conspiracy to show my daughter and I quote "look, honey, daddy is a Jackass". Then my pride and other things kicked in and I decided to summon my courage, or whatever left of it, and started to answer back with the full throttle and the full horsepower of my aging car and said, yes, yes, of course I know sweetheart. She replied very graciously and said ok daddy, tell me, and she looked at her mother with devious and naughty female eyes that girls -God bless them- develop at a very early age. I must share here that at that moment when the wife and my daughter exchanged looks that I felt so lonely, I was in the middle between the two and kept moving my scared and anticipating eyes between them as if being in a courtroom with the wife as the Judge and the daughter as the prosecuting attorney. Oh, my god, I am in the middle of a cross examination by my seven years old daughter with the wife as the puppet master, it is a setup I tell you, and I fill into it like an idiot. Finally, the decisive moment has arrived and daddy must deliver or I will lose whatever respect that I might still have forever. I said, honey -trying to hopelessly gain some ground- fashion is what you wear today, or tomorrow, it is temporarily and it could change by the season. Fashion also could be a temporarily style, a habit, a book or a movie. Sometimes you hear people saying- they really do not say it publicly, that they are going to the Kennedy Center -Theaters for performing arts and an Opera House here in Washington DC-because it is fashionable to be seen in these circles, or maybe it is fashionable to see this play, anything. Style on the other hand is more long term, it could be considered class or behavior, it is not related to rich or poor, you can be a garbage collector with more style than a politician can for example. I looked back at my daughter, trying to ignore the wife for a moment, and I felt that I lost her. I said baby, the bottom line is that we have to try to act in style. She replied, but daddy, you shout sometimes, you curse in weird language- Arabic- and all the other things that she said and I can not publish here, because it would not be [etiquettesh]- so what are you saying that you are out of style or do not have style or do you have fashion or what, you lost me daddy. I said honey, things happen in life, we are humans, and looked back at her and saw her looking at me with the same petty look that her mother gave me on our wedding night.

The Toyota Recall and the Nixon Cover-up...by Jamil Shawwa

We in the US are all over the place regarding Toyota's recall of over 8 millions of its cars due to faulty sticking accelerating pedals that could cause cars to accelerate uncontrollably. The problem here is not in the recall itself, it happened before not only with cars but also with almost everything that consumers use or drive from food, medicine, toys, and cars. Almost all cars manufacturers have recalled their cars for some defects at some point. The magnitude of Toyota’s recall stems from various factors, first and most important, it is Camry, is the best selling family car in America, so you can imagine the pressure the Obama administration felt and the Senate to [accelerate] an investigation to relax and ease the concerns and the fears of the American consumer. The other factor though no one wants to say it is that it is a foreign car; it is Japanese which have been the best selling cars in America since 1980s. The main published factor though was the alleged cover-up from Toyota. Reports showed that it knew the faulty pedals but did not take it seriously or at least acknowledge it sooner rather than later. Toyota reminded me of our 37th president, Richard M. Nixon or as his close associates used to call him Dick Nixon, Richard's nickname in the US is Dick, like our former vice president, Richard Cheney, we all know him as Dick Cheney. Mr. Nixon back in the early 70s of the last century ordered a group of second rate operatives to break into the Watergate Building over the looking the Potomac river in our capital Washington DC to steel documents from the Democratic party offices. The reason for that to put it mildly is that Nixon was paranoid, he thought that the Democrats- his party is the Republican- are out there to get him, and that they are conspiring to undermine his administration. Nixon ordered members of his reelection committee- he was elected for a second term on 11/1972- to do the break in as the investigation showed later and ultimately caused the president to resign office on 1974 and hand the power to his vice president Gerald Ford. The similarities between the two stories are that both Nixon and Toyota did not come clean from the first moment that these incidents took place and immediately assumed responsibility. Nixon as history has shown and according to the journalists that broke the Watergate Story, Bernstein and Woodward, has lied to the American people and has covered the operation and this snowballed to the point that could have undermined the institution of the presidency in the United States. Toyota did the same thing; maybe Toyota should make a car and call it Dick Nixon.

Toilets... by Jamil Shawwa

The title speaks for itself, but if you allow me and indulge me in elaborating a little on this title, subject, that is vital to all living creatures, humans and animals, the title might make more sense, and less disgusting as some might think it is. First, I have a declaimer to make, this subject has nothing to do with my midlife crises, it is something that I have encountered in the past and still encounters until now. Now, when I was a law student at Cairo University, we had the toilets in the basement, in the law school, and next to them, we had a little mosque where students can pray. It was a shame to have these two areas side by side, however, it would have been ok, if the toilets were decent but they were not, they were awful, not dirty necessary but over all, in my opinion, not human. Moving to Washington DC, we have a nice mosque in the most prestigious street in Washington DC. The view from the outside is majestic, from the inside, it is a combination of people living there, cooking and just having all sorts of things. The toilets as in Cairo law school are in the basement, next to the women praying section, and the view is the same, terrible. You go there to clean up before praying and it is an annoying process that probably make many people feel that praying at home is just much less hassle. I must say though that the wife does not like to go into my bathroom for some reason, she has signs for her and the kids not to come close. So, not fair. Back to he DC mosque toilets; no paper towels, not enough lighting, toilets are old fashion before the industrial age where you have to bend the knees, a hole, no toilets- that goes for both men and women, terrible. I just do not get it, what is the same factor between the toilets in the law school next to the little mosque in Cairo and the toilets in the mosque in Washington DC few blocks from the White House and the residence of the vice president; both places are run by the same mentality, same style of thinking, same people. You can go to the moon, or anywhere, but if you are the same as you were from your began, then nothing changes.

*Tibet to China and India as The Vatican To Italy... by Jamil Shawwa

The Tibet spiritual leader the **Dalai Lama was here in Washington DC few days ago and met our president Barack Obama. Meeting the president even for just a photo opportunity gave the visit a very high visibility and irritated China that does not recognize Tibet as a sovereign nation. China and Tibet have been in conflict for decades and centuries as Tibet tries to maintain it is own identity in face of China. Another player that is not visible here is India, which controls the Tawang province that has the most Tibetan sacred monastery, and it is located on the border of china and considered part of India. It seems to me from glancing quickly through the history of this conflict that China will continue to claim sovereignty over this province as it does over another province though considered a country; Mongolia. The uniqueness of Tibet is not political but religious and spiritual. This uniqueness might give the Tibet a chance to have a special status, it does now but it seems that it is not enough for the Dalai. China can continue to have Tibet under its overall umbrella and issue a special status to Tibet where this province can be a country and has ambassadors, a government and president, or as in the Vatican a spiritual leader. There are few examples here in the world right now, we have Monaco and Liechtenstein but the best example that can be emulated in my opinion is the Vatican. See attached maps and sources for more relevant information.




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* Source Google.
** Tibet practices Buddhism, which is mainly same as China but has its own specialties. For more information, please Google China and Tibet.

*Cafe Talks……Obama’s Middle Name...by Jamil Shawwa

Cafes, Bars, Restaurants have been through history the place where people mix eating, drinking, smoking- though it is getting harder and harder for the smokers to find a safe heaven- with talking. Strangers setting together in one place, either individuals or groups, and just venting. Accordingly, the places that I just mentioned have been a great source of news, gossips, information, conspirators, dating, and love making- stop it, I'm just stretching it- or just as everywhere else in the world the daily hangout place for the retired. So you can, if you want and have the skills- I am not good at it- listen and record all types of stuff that people do. It is amazing the information that you can get hanging in a popular place like Starbucks, for example. I know some people might say but who has the time for all these observations besides you, and the answer is that there are few that are interested in poking in other people’s lives and business if for nothing but just to amuse or entertain themselves. The other day, I went to one of my breakfast places near work and as I was standing outside for a quick cigarette before entering the place that is by the way in Virginia- which used to be the cigarettes capital of the United States before our wise politicians banned it altogether, I mentioned it in another blog here- Any way, I was standing there smoking by few news stands, those machines that dispense papers, as I used to smoke by the toilets in planes, and I came across two gentlemen looking at the cover stories from behind the glass window of the box that has the papers, you have to insert coins to get a copy but these two were not interested in buying a paper per say but just reading for free the headlines. I am not going to mention their ethnicity as I really trying hard to live up to what I write**. One man looked at the other and asked; do you know Obama's Middle name. The other man kept looking at the paper display without answering, so the first one continued- as if the point he needs to make must be made whether that person answered or not- his middle name is Hussein. The man kept looking at the display, maybe he did not know what to answer or maybe he was thinking of how relevant Obama's middle name to the headlines in the few papers on display. All the headlines that morning were talking about Obama's health plan.

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* I will start having a series titled Cafe Talks
**Check my article here, America's Obsession with Color.