H.A.N.I. 101

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People Meter
2007-10-17 00:22:00
In random order Are they capable of uttering these 3 phrases: “I’m sorry”, “I made a mistake”,”I don’t know”. How do they treat: the waiter, the garbage man, the cashier, the maid, the doorman. Are they a good listener ? How do they react to opposing opinions ? Do they raise their voice? How do they handle themselves in ...
More About: Society , People , Psychology , Meter

Flying WW2 Style
2007-10-15 18:50:00
Next week I will be flying to the US on a business trip. The itinerary includes at least 3 flights each way. I’ve flown plenty of times of before. I know that statistically, I am safer up there than riding in a car (particularly in Amman). However this safety factor only applies to modern jet ...
More About: Travel , Style , Flying

When Will the Villains Stop Speaking Arabic ?
2007-10-12 23:48:00
Earlier today, my brother handed me a book he just finished reading and recommended it as “similar to Clancy”. It was the New York Times Bestseller Spy by Ted Bell. So I did what I normally do when someone hands me a fiction novel. I turned it over to read the blurb on the back: Counter-terrorist ...
More About: Movies , Books , Games , Political , Future

Male Shopping Strategy 101 - The Underwear Shortage
2007-10-09 13:22:00
As we all know most guys hate shopping, this is partly responsible for our tendency to be loyal to a specific brand once we found one we like (lucky for the wife), and why commercials tend to target women more. Even then, nothing is worse than having to shop for underwear, I mean its not ...
More About: Economy , Shopping , Strategy , Male , Underwear

Falling off the Wagon
2007-10-06 19:43:00
After reading Nasim’s post about smoking. I was pondering the instances where I dabbled with addiction. Smoking: When my grandfather died many years ago, people came to our house to give condolences. As is apparently customary they were served black coffee and cigarettes. All known brands of cigarettes were available. My grandfather was dead, and we ...
More About: Health , Wagon

Browless Wonders
2007-09-30 13:32:00
Whenever my mom is visiting she gets on my case to "trim" my unruly eyebrows, and once even threatened to take a pair of scissors, and cut them in my sleep ! Like Samson, I fear losing all my magical powers. Aid comes from an unexpected source !
More About: Wonders

Send In The Clowns
2007-09-27 22:48:00
Here is Abu Mahjoob’s Ramadan Production Line: For the past week, here is my “Ramadan production line”: 12AM: Sleep 7AM: Shut off alarm 7:30AM: Actually Get out of bed 7:30AM: Breakfast 8AM-12PM: Connect to my office PC from home to work 12PM: Exercise on Treadmill 12:30-1:20PM: Free Time 1:20PM: Wait for heating system to heat the water 1:30PM: Shower 1:45PM: Prepare Dinner to take to work ...
More About: Business , Send , Clowns

An N by Any Other Name
2007-09-23 16:24:00
Normally, I’m not a superstitious person. I’m agnostic. I don’t believe in astrology, aliens, or conspiracy theories. I am Scully to anyone’s Mulder ! Yet there is one bit of mumbo-jumbo I do believe in. I consider the letter N very lucky, and attractive ! The more N’s the better. An M won’t do, its ...
More About: Personal , Superstition

An Adventure at The Power Company
2007-09-23 12:30:00
I got my power bill yesterday. It was handed to me by our building’s caretaker Shnuda. A note within read: Power will be cut without notice if not paid by: (Today’s date) It was Saturday, and the banks were closed, so it’s only possible to pay at the power company itself. Since its Ramadan the power ...
More About: Adventure , Company , Advent

3-day Weekend
2007-09-21 13:56:00
I was going to the safeway (Dwar Il-Madeeneh) on my way back from work yesterday, and I noticed some graffiti on the pedestrian bridge. It was asking workers to “Not settle for 1 day off a week, and demand their right to a 2-day weekend from their employer”. My first impression was that it must ...
More About: Business , Economy , Weekend

Tatbee3 (Normalization) The Dirtiest Word
2007-09-21 12:18:00
It has been some time since I wrote a serious entry. So I thought I’d tackle one of my most controversial opinions. This word Tatbee3 (???????) has become a dirty word. In the Arab world it seems to have lost all other meaning, and now only refers to normalizing relations with Israel. Why is this ...
More About: Political , Word , The D , Normal

IT - Setting up multi-instance mysql on Windows Vs. Linux
2007-09-19 01:03:00
In this post, Jad suggested Linux as an alternative to expensive OS like MAC/Windows . While I think Linux makes a wonderful server platform performance-wise, when it comes to learning-curve, and user-friendliness, it doesn’t measure up. So I would not recommend it to anyone none-technical. This made me recall an exercise I recently went through to create a ...
More About: Technical , Multi , Mysql

Homemade Tag - Define 15 words
2007-09-18 18:13:00
I got tagged by VA. So here are my thoughts on 15 words of her choice. Loneliness: The default emotion. You don’t have to be alone to be lonely. As much as I’d like, I’m neither a rock nor an island. I need people. Fear: Something we must master to have courage. I fear time and poverty. Love: ...
More About: Words , Define

Innocence
2007-09-18 07:12:00
As you may or may not be aware, I am not very fond of children. However I dwelled on this post by Hamede. He was feeling guilty because he swore at his mother’s father when she hit him as a child more than 37 years ago which prompted his mother to cry. I don’t ...
More About: Society , Psychology , Inno , Innocence

Of Honesty, Hungry Washing Machines, and Linguistic Geometry
2007-09-17 20:29:00
Induction: (knock on room door) *I open the door to find our maid holding something in her hand* *Maid Hands over a 50JDs ($70) banknote along with a USB flashdisk* Maid: Sir, I found this in your pants, It’s still wet! *I take them nonchalantly, and restrain any reaction* Me: Ok, thank you. *Maid goes back to work* *I close the door* Circle: Ok, ...
More About: Technology , Machines , Honesty , Linguistic , Geometry

The Spartan Singles Diet
2007-09-16 01:39:00
It all adds up to 900 cals (500 if you go for the English variation). As alway, please consult your Mom, doctor, or astrologer before embarking on any life changing (or ending) steps. Muhahaha ! Breakfast 8-9AM: Two cups Elle & Vire Light 0% Fruit Yogurt, pick the flavor you like (100 cals.): I can’t ...
More About: Health , Diet , Singles , Spartan , Spar

Show and Tell - The bedroom tour
2007-09-14 14:25:00
Welcome to my Inner Sanctum. This is the only Perfume I use. Its called Issey Mayaki. It has sandalwood, cedar, cinnamon, and nutmeg among other things. Its a bed, in some parts of the world, it is used for sleeping. Duh, what else would you use it for ?The plan to purchase new sheets hasn?t gone ...
More About: Personal , Show , Tour , Bedroom

To fast or not too fast
2007-09-13 21:46:00
So I haven’t fasted since I was 9 years old, and even then I would sneak someplace dark and deserted and have my continental breakfast (a bag of chips) underneath a heavy piece of furniture. Now that I’m grown up (at least according to my shaving mirror), I don’t sneak, it would be undignified, and as ...
More About: Religion , Fast

Go Ahead, Geo-locate Me
2007-09-12 23:09:00
One of the challenges of living in Amman used to be getting directions. It was not uncommon to hear something like: From the 4th circle, head towards the 3rd circle, go under the bridge, take the first right, keep going straight, until you see the watwermelon shed, then turn left, and dalak du3′ri, until ...
More About: Travel , Locate , Ahead , Loca

Poem - The Challenge
2007-09-11 02:09:00
I wrote this poem about 7 years ago. It is the only one I have ever written. You must understand I’m not inclined towards anything poetic or artistic, so here’s how this poem was written. I woke up at around 3AM, and for reasons I still don’t understand, I thought it would be nice to write ...
More About: Poetry , Poem , Challenge , Halle

Violence Against Women & Awareness Ribbons
2007-09-11 01:46:00
In today’s al-Ghad, a story was featured about a new organization started by H.M. Queen Rania to combat violence against women. article A commendable move as with a high incidence of problems like wife-beating, and honor crimes, this issue requires special attention in our part of the world. I remember the first time I heard the ...
More About: Women , Awareness , Violence , Ribbons , Viol

A Tragedy at Prince Hamza Hospital
2007-09-09 22:47:00
Those who hold it in their power to send people to their death…. King…….General…..Judge& #8230;… and Doctor. why is a doctor different because they can also save people from certain death, making dozens of life and death decisions every day. My father is an MD, occasionally he would come home and tell us horror stories of what ...
More About: Health , Tragedy , Hospital , Prince , Spit