America's Obsession with Color.......by Jamil Shawwa

We, Americans, a nation that is obsessed with color. My daughter used to call my car by it is brand, now it calls it the black car. My wife, the other day asked me to get her glasses box from the car gloves compartment by saying, get me the black thing for my glasses. What black thing, I asked innocently? I am famous of burning my toast, and used to say the toast was burned; now I hear the wife saying, it looks black. When we have snow, people say, the white stuff, what white stuff? I remember people used to describe heroin or cocaine as the white stuff. Kids in schools who if no one intervenes would embrace diversity as a natural way and normal, now their teachers make it a point to tell them that they are different from each other, all in the name of political correctness and embracing diversity. What diversity, what is the point in telling kids, you are black, you are white, and you are this or that. Once, as an employee of a defunct company, I attended a seminar that talked about diversity as a part of various employees enhancement workshops, and the participants, the instructor, started talking about how we are different- people setting in the room- and how we need to accept each other. I was amazed, once this instructor started to talk about these things, people started to look at each other, the atmosphere became rather electrified and embarrassing. We were all a very diverse group people, whites, blacks, Asians, Hispanics, Native Americans, etc. We were the United States of America in one room. That room was so warm before we started to talk diversity and became so cold once we started to look at each other, trying to figure out who is what and who is not. Before that seminar, we all talked, laughed, and no one really paid attention, or cared to pay attention about the so called differences, after the seminar, we started to look at each other suspiciously.

*The Wife Talks...... by Jamil Shawwa

The scene: early- kind of- morning, wife and husband bedroom. Husband just woke up, lying in bed looking at the window and probably beyond the window, to the scene outside. Wife, what else, changing the daily stuff that people should change at least once a day.
The view: snow everywhere, including the bedroom, figuratively speaking and not literally for those that are wondering.


Husband: the phone rang few moments ago, can you get it for me.
Wife: no, you get it.
Husband: but dear, you are there, just grab it and throw it to me, what is the big deal.
Wife: I tell you what the big deal is, it is you, your laziness, you do not want to move from the bed.
Husband: where shall I go, it is snowing like crazy outside.
Wife, with an attitude, as usual: help me, maybe, for a change.
Husband: I always help, who took the garbage last night, who filled the dishwasher, who gave the kids a bath.
Wife: still, you are lazy now; yesterday is gone, and today is a new day.
Husband: this has been the story of our marriage, no appreciation, no credits, always looking at the negative. You just cannot see the real me.
Wife: oh yes, I can see the real you, lazy, giving orders, loves waitresses, hairdressers, cafes and restaurants.
Husband: I cannot believe it, all this because I asked you to not even bring the phone but throw it at me.
Wife: it is not the phone it is what beyond the phone, it is what the phone means, and it is the symbol that I am rejecting.
Husband: I think I lost you mentally as I lost you physically long time ago, what do you mean.
Wife: I tell you what I mean , it is what you are waiting for, it is that other girl or girls, who knows, it is that other imaginary place that you keep dreaming of, it is the place, the food , the restaurant. You do not like it with me, you never did, and it is always that other unknown that you are looking for, you just looking for an escape, from me and everything.
Husband, shocked and speechless but not surprised: all this inside you, is this the way you really feel, all this resentment, all this even maybe hatred, I can not believed it. How many times do I approach you a day, how many times have reached out for you, how many times I asked you to open up and just talk. You never gave me a chance; you just were indifferent, negative, and passive. You are the kind that keeps things inside boiling, until it reaches the level of no return, until it explodes.
Wife: I had it with you, with your life style, with your laziness; a writer, please, who reads the dribble that you write, who cares about what you think. You are nothing. I do not see any talent in you.
Husband: I should not have asked for that phone.


*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.

They come in Cans...

The other day, hunger, lack of imagination and complacency lead me to one of these franchise restaurants that are in reality factories that cater to the masses. That restaurant reminded me of Charlie Chaplin famous movie, Modern Times. I went there and ordered my favorite, so unimaginative, Spaghetti Bolognese and I asked the server, if they use fresh tomatoes, and his answer was and I quote, always, freshly prepared out of the cans. Enough said I think. We are losing the small restaurants, the fresh ingredients and the home cooking. Everything these days is mega places, no soul and no taste. Having said that, it is the times we live in and probably we must adapt.

Enrico Macias by Jamil Shawwa

I was maybe six or seven years old when I first heard of the legendary French singer- born in Algeria-Enrico Macias . I loved his songs from my mother who loved his voice. My father-may God bless his soul- used to sing Enrico Macias famous song, Le Grand Pardon, the great tolerance or the great forgiveness. Enrico Macias sang that song for peace between the Jewish people and the Arabs in the holy land in Israel and Palestine and all over the world. Enrico Macias still sings for peace and still hopes to live to see a lasting and just peace in the Middle East between Israel and Palestine. Few years ago, Enrico Macias came to Washington DC and I went with my mother and other family members to see him at a theatre downtown, he was the same gracious artist, polite, accommodating his audience and of course singing for peace. In the middle of the show, he told us, his audience, that the president of Algeria, Bouteflika, has allowed him to go back to his original country to visit and sing. I am not sure if this invitation has ever been materialized but I know one thing that Enrico Macias never give up on peace between the Arabs and the Israelis and never give up on peace between the Muslims and the Jews, the sons of Ibrahim or Abraham. In addition, for sure the peace among the three great divine religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Enrico Macias still sings for that inevitable destiny that no one can run from which is that these two nations, people, have no choice but to live side by side, that they can not run from each other and that no matter what happens neither one can drive the other away from their homeland. So why not making love instead of making war.

The New Employee by Jamil Shawwa

After working for many companies and in many capacities, I came to the conclusion- probably almost everyone knew it except me- that it is up to the person, the individual to make a difference, That we can not set back and expect the company to fit in us and expect the atmosphere be up to our standards, and the co-workers are angels, and the cafeteria is full of whatever we need and that the board offers free Starbucks coffee and free ice cream once a month. If we expect any of the above to happen or to have any of the above as a measure if the company is right for us or not, then we are heading towards a huge disappointment. If we keep switching jobs hoping to find the ideal setting and the right people and the peaceful atmosphere, then we are also heading towards a bigger disappointment. If we setback and expect the company to appreciate us just for being there, then same as the above with the disappointment. Our job is to make things happen, to work to show the company how useful we are to it and not vice versa. In business, anyone is replaceable, if we ever think that any of us is indispensable, then we are setting ourselves to the biggest failure, probably. Show the company what you can do but always be on your guards; there is no job for life.

Final Thoughts:

Define the undefined and implement the defined.

Do not just expect the employee to fit in, but allow them to adapt, give them home,time and mental nourishment and the chance to fit.

The Snow Rush In Washington DC by Jamil Shawwa

The streets of our capital Washington DC and its suburbs in Northern Virginia and Maryland are bustling with all kinds of cars rushing through the grocery stores, gas stations and hardware stores. The reason, the big snow blizzard that we are expecting Friday and through out Saturday. The Washington Post is already describing the coming snow wave as historic. People are battling the cashier lines at the various places to get away with as much supplies as possible as quickly as possible. Gas stations at full capacity, customers are filling up the tanks just in case they are stuck somewhere. We are buying shovels to clean up the snow from our driveways and we are scanning the TV guides for programs to keep us entertained during the expected snow. Schools have already declared that they will be closed Friday and the kids are the happiest among all with the announcement, they are the only ones- God bless them- that are looking forward for snow day. Parents are panicking not because of the snow but because of the thought of the three days weekend with the kids locked inside the house. Trucks with sand to clean the streets are already positioned in strategic places around the capital and the suburbs ready to go on full speed as soon as the storm hits. Husbands and wives are panicking too not only because of the snow and the kids but also because that they have to be stuck with each other for the duration of the snow. Who knows, maybe this projected storm will bring more people to our earth and country, people instead of thinking of work and going out, will be thinking of love and making out.

*Lingerie Talk------ a rest from politics and Analysis by Jamil Shawwa

She: I am not sure which one to put
He: which do you like more
She: I like both
He: you know, you do not have to put anything if you do not want
She: yeah, you wish, I have to protect my assets
He: from whom
She: from you
He: why
She: because....
He: I understand, you have to keep them intact
She: yes
He I'm not that stupid, I understand their function and importance
She: do you
He: I think so
She: ok, if you say so
He: what does that mean
She: nothing, sorry, I did not mean to hurt your feelings, it was just a talk
He: it is ok you did not.
She: so what do you think shall I go with the black and the hiphunger, or the burgundy and the thong.
He: hiphugger, thong, laces, not sure I am following.
She: oh, you are so ignorant when it comes to women underwear.
He: no, I am not.
She: you even do not know their names.
He: well, I tried to look at Victoria Secret catalogue but they have now ten million names for the lingerie, it is so confusing.
She: only to you.
He: well, what happened to the good old straight forward two piece lingerie.
She: still there, got polished, and you are still the same.
He: oh, now you are comparing me with your lingerie
She: yes, both are attached to me.

*Disclaimer:
For entertainment purposes only
These conversations are not related to any specific person or persons. They are general human conversations from life.

Muslims and Christians in Egypt by Jamil Shawwa

I know enough about Egypt to report that Christians there live by large in prosperity. They own telecommunications companies, real estate, jewelry stores. Among them are top movies and arts producers.

Christian Copts have been political operatives and government officials since Muhammad Ali established the modern Egypt in the early 19th century and they continued to play a pivotal role, yet somehow subdued, after the 1952 military revolution that ended the rule of the Albanian Muhammad Ali family and established a military dictatorship that last until July of this year, when Egypt for the first time in its history elected a civilian head of state and it happened to be from the historically banned group known as the Muslim Brotherhood.

A name that comes to mind of an elite Coptic family is that of Boutros Ghali and his family. The former secretary general of the United Nations comes from a very famous Christian political family; his grandfather was prime minister of Egypt in the late 19th century and early 20th century.

The main problems facing Egypt’s Copts-Muslims relations in my opinion are public relations, perception, and education, until recently, Egypt never celebrated the Copts Christmas day, which takes place every year- Christian orthodox- on January 6 as a national holiday, the Copts, had to take permission from schools to celebrate, had to take permission from the president to build churches and until now it is still not easy to get these permissions.

Egypt in the identity cards still places the name of religion besides the personal information. The education books and the overall mentality focus on that the Christians are somehow different; there is a mixture of jealousy, from their success, to fear. Ignorance plays a great role in showing the Copts as not trustworthy or even as some fanatics in Egypt believe that eating with them would violate some sort of religious rule.

While attending the law school at Cairo University, I had a Christian friend that for four years I did not and did not care to know his religion until one day he mentioned that he is a Christian Copt and I also had a Christian teacher who gave me French language lessons, I did not learn it not because he was not a good teacher but because I was not a serious student. That teacher once invited me to his house over lunch with his wife and two daughters in one of Cairo developments for limited income people. He opened up to me and said that the Copts are ready to fight if Muslims choose this path. I was surprised and did not say anything, he continued to say, and I quote “we will not set still and wait for them to attack”. I once advised Coptic friends that they will never have a full voice in Egyptian politics unless they form a political party similar to that of the Muslim Brotherhood.

If the Muslims can do such thing, why not the Copts, and this way, politics in Egypt will be more vibrant and more accountable to each other, like the system of Checks and Balances here in the US- Egypt style to ensure equal rights and equal opportunities and act as a lobby for the Copts from within. The Egyptian people in general are people of peace, and the majority among them, Muslims and Copts, believe in living in harmony.

The official Egypt though must continue to focus on the importance of tolerance. Having gone through this introduction, I must say that we need to continue to look at the larger picture here and show that intolerance is not unique to this or that part of the world, intolerance and hatred are found in almost every society on earth, of course, there are variations here and there.

In Egypt and the Middle East there is discrimination based on religion or religious intolerance, in other countries there is discrimination based on national origins, ethnicity, or the color of the skin.

Governments cannot erase discrimination by decree, it is a process that has to be part of the evolution of societies to focus instead of what is your religion, or looks to what you can do and how productive you are. What is going on in Egypt could lead to a better Egypt if it is dealt with as a fact and not as something the official Egypt is trying to deny and hide and pretends that it does not exist.

The Monthly Visit by Jamil Shawwa

*She: you are so thoughtless
He: why you say that
She: you yelled at me
He: are you talking to me
She: who else, you are the only one
He: what are you talking about
She: you yelled over the phone
He: the cell phone is not clear; maybe that is why you thought I was yelling
She: it is not the phone; it is you
He: maybe I am loud. Sometimes
She: it is you, your culture; you have no respect for women
He: silence
She: you are all like this
He: silence
She: how would I not know that you did not do this and that… (She accused him of things that legally he could bring before a court of law for false accusations and blaspheming).
He: How dare you accuse me of such things, how dare you talk to me like this. You have no class or respect,
She: I do not want to talk to you
He: bye
She: wait, stop, what I’m talking about, I can’t stop thinking about you, I can not stop feeling you, I do not know you, I never met you, how could I say such things.
He: you just did.
She: forgive me, it was not me talking, it was someone else
He: what are you talking about; it is all there, read above.
She: it is not me; it is someone else, a visitor that comes once a month.
He: silence, puzzled
She: it is this time of the month for me and for every woman
He: pretends that he is still puzzled, silence
She: it was not I that was talking; it was my period.
He: how can I trust that you and your period are not one and the same, how can I trust that this monthly visit will not be a daily routine, how can I trust you any more. You are not predictable, you are not trustworthy, and you are just a roller coaster.
She: I am a woman
He: no more false pretences, no more Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I need to see who you really are, I need to trust that the voice is real and that the face is real. Stop hiding behind artificial things and barriers that you created, stop asking for respect and you do not have respect for others, stop stereotyping.
She: you are asking me to stop being a woman
He: enough! Being a woman has nothing to do with it, stop committing crimes against humanity in the name of being a woman.
She: you are yelling again.
He: I am not, you are not listening
She: what do you want from me.
He: Nothing
She: you want to humiliate me for my mistake
He: no, I want to bring the best in you, if you have it somewhere there hiding. I want to free you from your fears and prejudices. I want to rehabilitate you.
She: why you care
He: I do not know. I have always cared for people; I have always wanted to bring the best in people and sometimes, in the process, some claimed that I have brought the worst in them. I think they just wanted to make an excuse for not being nice.
She: and who brings the best in you
He: I am still searching.

*Disclaimer:
For entertainment purposes only
These conversations are not related to any specific person or persons. They are general human conversations from life.

He is back and He is Rolling, Obama 2010 by Jamil Shawwa

In the previous article, I voiced concerns that I wanted the president to go back to his old self, smart, confident, bold, relaxed and effective. Last night, president Obama did not disappoint me; he was back, the good old Obama that millions of us elected and brought to office in 2008. The president was relaxed, bold, humorous and most importantly comfortable with the setting. He was not intimidated, and he was not timid, he was leading again. The president rallied the nation last night to do what is right in combating the challenges it is facing, health care reforms for all Americans, tax credits for small businesses- the back bone of the American economy, tax relief for families with children, tax credits for students and last but not least our national security. The president made it clear that America's security is not and will not be compromised that America still even during economic difficulties will not be intimated by those that hate our success and those that just try to harm us. Last night, I saw Obama 2008 ready to combat the problems of today. If the president follows through and continues to be his good old self, he will be reelected in 2012. He knows that so far, he at least has my vote.

President Obama State of the Union Address by Jamil Shawwa

Tonight will mark the president's first state of the union address. Our country has a great tradition where governors of the 50 states address their respective states once a year to talk about the political, social and economic situations of their states. At the Federal level, the union level, the president of the United States does the same but on a larger scale and with local and worldviews. In fact, the US president state of the union address should be called state of the world address. our president is really does not talk about the US only but tonight he will report to Congress and the American people on the state of the world. Americans and people from all over the world will be listening to Mr. Obama's first state of the union address. They expect the president to be confident, hopeful, and bold on aggression and terrorism. Americans also want the president to lay out in clear letters, sound voice and optimistic vision his next year agenda. No general themes are ordered tonight, we want specifics. Tonight, might be a great opportunity for the president to gain the momentum he had last year and to regain the hearts of millions and billions of people from all over the world who voted and cheered him into office. Obama, again, needs to be himself, the smart hard working American who made history on 11/03/2008.

The Dialogue continues... She is on the Rebound*

We spoke again, can you believe it, after the conversation that we had yesterday about women beauty. It seems that we got addicted to these conversations. She said, I do not know what happened to me, I can not stop thinking about you, although all your opinions irritate me, and your views of women are so sexist and so selfish. Who gave you the permission to say all these opinions, who gave you the credibility or the credentials that you can go and just say what you said- she is angry and she is repeating herself, it is not my writing. There is something missing here, I feel so attached to you and in the same time, I am so afraid of you. She continued I am having feelings that I have not had in a long time. I thought that I have suppressed those feelings that I have deleted them completely from my dictionary, and then when I started to read your pieces, as they annoying as ever, my whole life has changed, I'm a different woman, a different person, I'm better, I hate to say that, I hate to give you any credit for me being better now than I was yesterday, I hate the fact that I'm wasting my time even sharing with you all these intimate details about my life and feelings. Yesterday I called you and you were having lunch at one of your favorite daily lunch hangouts, you even refused to tell me the name of the place. How could you do that, how could you pretend that I am special, that I am magic and you do not want to share with me where you have lunch. I heard you talking to the server; it seems that you enjoy her company more than you enjoy the food. I felt that I just wanted to jump, come to that restaurant, share your table and just see what you do, what is this routine that you are talking about, what is this precious cycle that you have to go through. Enough, I do not want to read you, I do not want to hear you, you have rocked my life, and you have changed me forever. Say something, connect, please.

PS: As you can see, that was a one sided dialogue, or should we say Monologue. See, I learned my lesson from the other two conversations; never interrupt a woman.

*Disclaimer:
For entertainment purposes only
These conversations are not related to any specific person or persons. They are general human conversations from life.

A Dialogue with a Woman*

She said to me why not taking a break from pretending that you know anything about world politics and talk once on a subject that is close to my heart. I answered your requests and wishes are my orders, what do you suggest. She replied, women beauty, you can pretend this morning that you know something about this subject and let us see how it goes. I answered back after few seconds of hesitation, that this subject is so dangerous, it might be more dangerous that pretending that I know something about politics or analytical journalism. She said, come on, pretend, at least I am listening. I asked with a serious look on my face, are you sure that you can handle this one, you could not handle the other day the conversation we had about bringing the best in you. She said, go ahead, and pretend. I said ok, here how it goes; I am an advocate of a woman natural beauty, no perfumes, no colognes, or any artificial ingredients except for shampoos, soaps, and daily showers and after showers pleasant and soft deodorants with a soft touch of makeup. she interrupted me saying, maybe you are right, I'm already starting to regret asking you about talking on this subject, you are worse in talking about women beauty than you are in talking politics, but go on, continue. I ignored the last statement, collected my thoughts, and said you see I never like women who put water on their hair in the morning to make it look flat or good, I prefer, if anything, for her to take a shower. I do not like Gills, or sprays on the hair after the shower, just dry it well, and maybe use the blower a little. I stopped for seconds to see if she wants to comment but she did not, she just looked at me with her mysterious eyes that can melt the ice cream from the top of the cone, so I continued. I do not like very long hair, I like it by the shoulder maybe a little longer, depends on the face and the height of the woman, I love ponytails, flat, or Carre' but flat if possible tops it all. I like well-groomed women, meaning pedicure and manicure, but all natural, no nail polish, just the natural look of the clean nails. I am rolling here, and my companion is just looking and her facial expressions keeps getting more stressed than ever, but she is not responding, so I proceeded and said that I like other things that would bring the natural magic look of a clean silky skin, no bushes or shrubs all over the place and no shaving tools, just the good old fashion wax. She then started screaming so I stopped and asked her, are you ok, she said no, I'm not ok, you better continue to claim that you know something about politics and journalism, because when it comes to women, you are just out there, nothing, zero. I thanked her for her honest opinion and for listening to me. She replied, do no thank me, I brought it on myself.

*Disclaimer:
For entertainment purposes only
These conversations are not related to any specific person or persons. They are general human conversations from life.

Mixed Signals From and About Gaza By Jamil Shawwa

I have been receiving mixed signals from Gaza, the clear and silky beach city on the Mediterranean shore adjacent to the Israeli shores. The signals indicate and I might be wrong or too optimistic here that there might be some sort of a relief for this poor city- read my previous pieces on Gaza in this site- that has been under siege not by Israel or Egypt as the popular and conventional politics indicate but by it's new residents, a political movement by the name of Hamas and by being Gaza, part of the Palestinian, Arab and Israel conflict. On the larger scale, Gaza is part of another world conflict, which is the struggle of the so-called terrorists groups that take Islam as hostage to cover for their least to say questionable motives and terrorist activities. Another angle that this city is part of is the rise of the Iranian influence in the Sunni Muslim Arab dominant Middle East and the positioning of Iran as the guardian of the paramilitary religious movements such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, certain sects of the Shiite dominated Iraq and the struggle we see in Yemen along the Saudi -Yemen borders with a fraction Shiite group called the Houtheen who struggles with the Sunni dominant governments of Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Iran's influence even extends to the Sunni Hamas, though Hamas is not part of the traditional Shiite alliance but part of the same movement that Iran is nurturing. On the other hand the rise of the liberal Sunni Islam democratic semi European Turkey to balance the influence of Iran in the Middle East. The Arab Middle East right now- The Arab countries have no say or anything- is being dominated or influenced by two regional powers, Iran and Turkey. Iran is taking care of the extremists, Turkey is managing the moderates, and the liberals, See it is not that easy at all. Back to the signs of relieves that I see for Gaza, the first is that Israel as of today's news has allowed the growers of flowers and strawberry to resume their exports from Gaza. This is a very generous sign taking into consideration that the Gaza run Hamas is on the book hostile to Israel and the peace process, although Hamas off record has accepted the peace process that is based on the Oslo agreement signed between the PLO and Israel in 1993, and this acceptance is clear through the fact that it participated in the 2005 elections that was based on that agreement. The other sign is information that I got from a source in Gaza- I'm really not and have not been in touch with almost anyone who is in Gaza except for a cousin or two- that people can not go anywhere, they can not travel, they are under siege except for two things, that they have tons of supplies, food, etc, thanks to the tunnel business, smuggling goods through the Egyptian borders by digging tunnels and sometimes very sophisticated tunnels that cars can get through, and that they have- now and since Hamas took over the city in the 2006 armed fight with Fateh- security. This source is telling me that people can walk, drive and go any where anytime day or night without the fear of being robbed, kidnapped, having their vehicles stolen or just harassed as the case has been when Fateh ruled the Gaza Strip. He also said that Hamas does not allow armed persons except its people and fought and fights other fractions that try to disturb the peace- so ironic, Hamas keeping the peace.
I personally have so far no way of verifying what that source told me concerning security in Gaza. The next sign of relief is the iron cast fence that Egypt- according to news reports from open sources- that is building along the borders with the Gaza Strip- I know it is weird as how a fence can be a sign of relief- which on the other side of the coin could be a start of political movement or indication of the need to shake the stalled situation and maybe push Hamas into accepting or rushing Hamas- who is not in rush for anything actually- to start or finish the dialogue on the Israeli soldier hostage in Gaza and reconnecting with the West Bank Fateh run territory and maybe reuniting the Gaza Strip with the West Bank through a corridor, something. We will see if any of these things ring true or is it as a potential friend said midlife crises I am going through so instead of hitting the Bottle, I am hitting the internet.

Haiti vs. Louisiana

The other day I was having lunch with a friend in one of these cheap Chinese restaurants near my work- not sure why I brought up that it is cheap though it has nothing to do with the subject of this article- the day was rainy, kind of a mixture of ice and snow but it did not last long. We started hitting that buffet, I know why I go there, the service is fantastic, the girls who work there, a Vietnamese Chinese woman and a Salvadorian woman, are just kind and very welcoming- again, I’m being stereotyping here, both are Americans, why would I mention their ethnic background, another reason that I go there is that it used to allow smoking before our great Commonwealth of Virginia voted to ban smoking cigarettes in all restaurants and food establishments as of 12/01/2009. Back to that meeting with my friend, that lunch companion is a very educated woman, master’s degree, her father was a graduate from one of the Ivy League schools in the US- Top universities- and that woman happened to work for me in the past at one of my many former jobs. Again, back to the subject of this article, we started to talk as usual about world affairs, pretending as usual that we or at least I have, see, as if we know the solution for all world problems. In the midst of the noise of the chopsticks, we hit one of the newest subjects on world stage right now, Haiti. My friend- she is from the Medwest, USA- brought up the subject that some people are comparing the fact that we are doing a better job in a foreign country than what we are still doing, right now to fix the harms that was caused by the hurricanes that hit the state of Louisiana and particularly the city of New Orleans, here in the USA back in 2005. She said that and I quote, it would be a shame if this administration finishes the job in Haiti while we are still cleaning up the mess in New Orleans and still building the ruins of the hurricanes. I took a deep look at her and to the dish in front of me- I was trying to choose, whether I should take a bite first or participate in the conversation- it was empty and it was the time for a refill, but then I answered back- not sure why I felt that I'm obliged to answer- saying, well, you know, New Orleans was back in 2005 and this administration just started or took over from the Bush administering a year ago, in fact exactly on 01/20/2009, so really we can not point the finger of blame or accuse it of aiding a foreign nation or even doing a good job in aiding a foreign nation, that is next door, while the job in New Orleans is still on. She looked at me and she might have said, damn your objectivity- but she nodded and said that it is right; Mr. Bush was in charge for almost three years during and after New Orleans. The bottom line here I think is that we are a nation that loves to learn from the past, that we try to correct mistakes, that we want to do right to our people and to others. What we are doing in Haiti right now is a great example of what we have learned in New Orleans and other places in the world. The same thing we are doing in combating terrorism, we are learning to do it better, and we are trying to put the right people in place to get the job done. I looked at my friend again and said this is America, a young nation in heart, a great nation indeed, a nation that continues to find the right formula to combat evil in it's own body, borders and abroad and in the same time trying to maintain it's civility, the rule of law and that all people are created equal, the journey continues.

Morning Thoughts.... To Her*

She asked me, why not you believe me, why do you want to change me. I answered, I do not want to change you, I accept you the way you are, I just want to bring to surface the best that is inside you. She answered back, who gave you the permission, who put you a PR agent for me. I said, no one, I just cannot look, observe, analyze and not say what is in my mind, I just cannot help it. She said, this is an invasion of my privacy, who you think you are, don’t you know that no woman like to be told how she can be better, women only like to be told how charming they are no matter what. I answered and said but you are not any woman, you are not the trend, the rules do not apply to you. She fired back saying, now you are insulting me, if I am not a woman, any woman, what I am then, I replied, you are magic. She yelled, drop it, I answered, I cannot. I just cannot see your potential and keep my mouth shut. She answered, this time; you need to keep your mouth shut.

*Disclaimer:
For entertainment purposes only
These conversations are not related to any specific person or persons. They are general human conversations from life.

A Mouse Is In the House

This morning my writing routine got interrupted around 7:00 AM with the wife screaming from the kitchen, I know that you are all surprised because we all know, wives never scream, when I went to the direction of the scream, I found her standing on a chair shouting, Mouse! I pretended to be very concerned, grabbed the broom and found that little grey thing scared under the table, I think he was scared of the wife and not of what is waiting for him. Anyway, the naughty creature got away but I declared emergency in the house, rallied the troops, and went running to the hardware store and bought all kinds of mice and rats poisons. Then all of a sudden, it hit me, what If I make a deal with the mouse, what if I try to extend my hand and the broom if needed and try to have a peace treaty. I reached out and looked at him in the eyes, I'm assuming that it is a him and not a her, see I'm already assuming things that might not be true, and I told him that I can spare his life, be reminded that I have not caught him yet, if he agrees to leave the house. The mouse answered back- just go along with me here readers- and said why, I answered because it is my house and you are an intruder; you are not an invited guest and you have no rights on this property. The mouse looked back and said, but where shall I go. I started to get angry, and started to waive the broom in his face, when then he said what if we make a deal. I answered that you are in no position to bargain, remember the broom and all kinds of mice killers that I have in my hand. He answered back and said what happened to live and Let Live, I answered that this human rule does not apply to mice. He did not give up, tried again to reach a compromise, and said what If I leave your house and stay on your property. I answered; explain please. He said, I will leave the house but wonder around the garden, I will be outside, what is the harm in that. I looked at the mouse and said you got a deal, get out now, and do not come back inside but you are welcome on the outside. He looked back, and said, see, it is a win- win situation. I answered; do not rub it in.

George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Haiti

Few days ago, John King, the anchor of CNN political program, State of the Union hosted the former presidents Bush and Clinton. The occasion was their appointment by president Obama to head The Haiti Relief Fund in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that hit that Caribbean nation few weeks ago. The topic was, how it can be done and what are the priorities. I was intrigued not by the former president’s appearance as much as of what they have to say and their way of thinking regarding crisis management. Obviously, Clinton was more eloquent, focused and targeted on the details. He started by saying, correctly so, that the first thing that we need to do is to create a network in Haiti to manage the crisis, the rescue, and the rebuilding of a nation that did not have anything before the quake and basically went to below zero after the quake. Bush was focusing on getting people together, providing more human touch to those that lost love ones, most of the population. Clinton eloquence does not mean that he is a better leader than Bush, nor does it mean that he would be more capable or able to transform his ideas into solid realties on the ground. In the same token, Bush documented and well known lack of speech skills does not mean that he is the lesser leader. On the contrary, he could be the one that can in fact transform Clinton's eloquence into reality. Leadership- in my opinion- is all about inspiring, creating an effort or a network as Clinton said to transform what on paper to the ground in the form of relief, projects and most importantly into building a political system that works. Haiti needs a transparent and democratic system- like all nations on earth-which will help this country with unlimited potential in tourism to be as prosperous as other rich Caribbean islands.

President Obama, One Year Later, By Jamil Shawwa

I am writing this piece while witnessing the conclusion of the first year of president Obama in office and witnessing tonight a big defeat for the president and the Democratic Party in Massachusetts special senate race elections to fill the vacant seat of the late senator Ted Kennedy. Tonight, the republican nominee Scott Brown defeated the democratic nominee Martha Coakley over a precious and historic democratic seat in the senate that was in the hands of the Kennedy’s for over 50 years. The time could not be worse for the democrats as they move to push president Obama’s universal health plan for all Americans; every vote counts and the president has just lost one. I witnessed the Democratic Party lack of command and leadership to find a charismatic and popular Politian who can fill the shoes vacated by the late senator Kennedy. Actually, the democrats were invisible in Massachusetts as were the republicans in the rest of the country before their sound defeat during the presidential elections. The republicans in Massachusetts presented an energetic candidate and the democrats presented a mild candidate that could have been great as a school principle and not political leader. The republican nominee campaigned on opposing the health plan, the state in it's majority are democrats but you have those swing voters, the independent, who actually decides each elections and the party that can convince those voters to vote for their candidate usually wins elections. I also saw the debate on health care and again the democrats were not clear enough, bold enough and confident enough to persuade the voters that this plan is in the best interest of America in the long term. What is next for president Obama is that he needs to bring the network of talented operatives that helped to muster his historic win last year to start building a momentum for his agenda. He needs to be bold and confident as he was during the campaign and he needs to be frank and most importantly he needs to be himself. We do not see or hear the president as much as we should. Having said all that, I must share that historically we have seen sitting presidents losing either the house, the senate or both during their term in office, It happened to Ronald Reagan and most recently it happened to Bill Clinton in the 1994 elections when he lost both the house and the senate in what was came to be know as the republican revolution lead by Newt Gingrich, the history professor. Bill Clinton rebounded and even with a congress that was against him viciously, he managed to be reelected in 1996. I predicted long before Obama even was close to be the democratic nominee that he would be elected president, I just could not ignore his talent, the historic significance of his elections and the dire need of our nation for a leader that can give America the renewal that it needed, mostly, during president Bush final two years. We are going to have mid term elections this coming November, the president has plenty of time to show America that he is taking it on the right track, that the economy has improved, that our financial institutions are paying back their debt to us and the government, that the housing market is on the rise, that the job rate is growing and that our nation is climbing back to it's natural place as the shining place on top of the hill.

Respect By Jamil Shawwa

I was talking to a friend, hope that she will allow me to call her a friend, and the focus of the various conversations has been on the importance of respect to her and the way she was raised. In almost all conversations, the word respect would come up. She was sensitive even if I was silent for few moments or minutes and she would consider this silence as a sign of disrespect. I answered her once saying that all humans ask and demand respect and courtesy but I did not stop at that but added that specially for Asians, the word or the symbol respect means more than other cultures or people. I kind of regretted that last part, the Asian part, and felt that it is a stereotype of me to cast a big chunk of humans as different from others. Having said that, I thought about it and found out in my own mind that the statement I made was not a stereotype but was coming from my own experience with people of Asian descents. It is not at all that they are different but that they, those that I dealt with, mention respect more and by far than any other group of people that I met. Again, we all humans want to be respected but maybe not all of us would mention it as often. That conversation with that friend reminded me of an incident that took place in the early months of President George W. Bush presidency when China said that spy USA planes entered its space for undeclared missions. China’s focus was not on the incident but on the demand that The US apologizes. China did not stop at that until it got its apology and its formal papers published it in big headlines stating that the US- I quote-“was very sorry” for the incident. Again, back to my friend, I wonder if she with the way she demands respect, she also would provide others with the respect that she demands from them. I noticed and I ignored in that conversations that she also went sometimes for minutes without replying but she did not feel consciously or not for the need to apologize and I did not mention it to her. Very interesting human analysis, do not you agree.