Oh Always Me

So I am told day in and day out that everything happens for a reason and that if something bad happens to me or let's say for me, then there would definitely something else coming up that is a hundred times (or so) that is better for me in store and that I haven't ran into just yet.

Ok. Granted that sort of lifts up your damped spirits just a bit but what about what I do now during the grieving period? 'Hang in there?'

To everyone whose confused and frustrated about the whole subject, I was given a month's notice to leave my job and look elsewhere to work.

Interesting finds..

- Man is known to have the most of power through any society in time's long journey no matter which community you have visited in any history book. But time has left a riddle for all of us that I would bet none of you could ever come to comprehend. It goes like this: A man who does all the wrong doings ever possible in this life can get away with it and society would totally disregard it along with time, but if a woman were to do the same, then he she is shamelessly dragging her family's name in the mud along the streets that she walks upon because of her sins. Although it is the man who carries the family name and not the woman.

- To whom do propose that we are freeing Palestine in the future? The famous saying comes from mothers and fathers who are over-reactive at times because of their children's behavior. However, this view has changed with only by tonight. By seeing two children playing around a clean piece of toilet roll taken from a public restroom and dangling it along the dirt and plants outside a local cafe, you really do start to think - are they worth the fight to free what is ours in the first place?

- I've always thought that life is all about finding an equilibruim point to which you can rest in piece and that mostly happens when you find 'love' and/or the perfect job for you which suits you and doesn't tense you up all time. But, boy was I wrong on both sides of the scale. Because as it is, there is no such thing as 'love' nor there is a 'perfect job'. There's only one thing in common between the two. That's to comprimise heavily. To give away as much as you can to get to a certain place in life. Be that in 'love' or your job. But mostly in your job. You would have to kiss people's asses like never before to the point your Cola starts to taste different just to stay on with the job. Which, regrettably, is something that almost everyone in this life, as I found out, is doing. What a sad sad world we live in to not be able to speak the truth.

- And whoever tells you that Oman is the best place to work in because there's no racism or preferrism or predijuice is a big fat dumb liar. It's all around. You just haven't gotten to it, yet.

متى؟

متى كان الحب وفياً

ليُوثق فيه؟

متى كان الوقت سخياً

لنستمتع به؟

ألهذا وُجد الإنسان

ليكد و يعمل و يجتهد؟

ألهذا نجد المصائب

تنكب في الدُربِ؟

صعدت أعلى جبال الأحاسيس

كي أحس بم أحس به غيري

و لقد مررت بجارب مريرة

ليتها لم تكن لي

متى كان دفء الشمس يبعث بالأمل؟

متى كان حد الرجولة إحساس القلب بالفشل؟

متى كانت الوردة تعطى للذي تحبه؟

و متى كان نيل الإنسان بالحب كنيله الخُلُدُ؟

متى كنا ننظر للوقت لننتظر الحبيب؟

متى كنا لنبتسم عند رؤيته لإحساسنا بزقزقة العصافير؟

ليت الحب لم يكن يوماً

ليت الروح ترجع من حيث وُجدت

ليت الزمان لم يكن

و ليت الإحساس لم يكن

فتتوقف الأقدار عن التخطيط

و يتوقف قلبي عن التنبيض

و تتوقف عندها...

... الحياة

Pardon..

Pardon the intrusion
Pardon the confusion
How and what should I say?

I am alone
All alone
Thinking of what may come and what come may

Pardon the grief
Pardon the sorrow
Pardon the soul
That is filled with pessimisim
Up to it's burrow

Pardon the leaf
That falls to the ground
Pardon the life
That I would love to give back, for I am non-profound

Pardon the lakes
That skim water creeks
Pardon the lifelong difficulties
That show no mercy

Pardon the cry
Of a child
Should he cry out
He only lives one life

Pardon the flower
That does not grow
Pardon the truth that is
Within this desperate soul

Pardon me
Pardon the grief
Pardon the miserable words
That you do read

Pardon the rules of life
Pardon the cruelty that lives along with you in all time

This is the sin
That I hold
For a sinner I am
For a sinner, people against me, will always hold

blogs and bloggers: is this the end of an era?

Blogs and bloggers worldwide have become increasingly under attack for their open opinion and what they think of the world and the surviving environment that surrounds them. And elsewhere on the planet, a lot of bloggers have been arrested for airing their opinions which contituted a vast reform in a certain field. And although most of them remain anonymous, the black suits still come at them to stop them from corrupting the minds of generations and generations of early minds that are proposed to be brainwashed.

Technically speaking, bloggers cannot be held responsible for what they post on their blogs because although they do 'write' these posts, they are also considered just thoughts for recollection and debate nothing more, nothing less. And while the many minds of this vast new field of blog run world is in increase, there has been a bigger restriction in some developed countries around who gets to access the information or not and who exactly can start one such as China, South Korea and Singapore.

Whilst, in most developing countries, such as the GCC countries, there has been a certain restriction over what kind of information you can access through the net; political; economical; environmental; and historical content that contains secrets to the past of the GCC nation if not for the entire Arab world after WWII. Most Internet Service Providers such as OmanTel, Itisalat and Saudi Arabian Telecommunications Company consider that this is with their juristicion to have such content deaccessed by the public, while what is so ironic about the whole matter is that you can gain access to this information sometimes in the public market on DVD, CD or some imported media that holds the same type of information which was with-held on the 'net.

It is clear that some form of control is being rattled up to avoid the rattle and shake of a silent giant within the local communities with the gigantic proportion of information that is often misleading more than it is informative over the Internet. But is this giant a figment of imagination just to seize more control over the new and ever developing Internet technology, or does it really exist?

In the midst of this whole process the freedom of expression is being hammered down along with it that sometimes includes probes of secret groups shutting up the traps of the 'truth radicals'. Will this though, be the end of the bloggers and their blogs in the future to come?

One thing I do believe, everyone has their right to their freedom of expression no matter how bad it does sound only if it is against a wrongful system and the goal of the rant is to reach the desirable which is to set things right.

Otherwise, what are we doing here?

the rant against passion

There's no such thing as being limited in one's abilities and skills. The skills we take from past experience and abilities we learn to progress in the nature of our growing pains.

Therefore, there is no such phrase as such as 'I don't know how to do this.." - because you learn it through time.

This applies to what went on with the Arabic language post I blogged a few days earlier and a recent attack from a certain someone that I don't have it in me to nurture the skill of having to write a proper piece of Arabic litreature.

Children don't learn first-hand how to run, they crawl then walk and so on. And in that perspective of things I am developing this new passion of mine. As primary as it may seem in it's very early stage, I know that one day, I would turn around and laugh at myself from trying to write should I not succeed.

Perhaps it would good to mention here that this is probably the 5th attempt in my entire lifetime span in the Arabic language field.

Explination over.

where's the justice?

I swear, at some point in time, they are going to have to start implementing a two day weekend for the private sector because it is so exhausting for me and everyone else in our organization to work for 10 hours a day plus a half day on Thursday.

I mean, whats the sense in working for a half day especially when the rest of the country is taking a day off to commence their end of the week retirement?

I remember back when I was really young and I was still in KG that we only had Friday to take off for the end of the week along with my dad. I don't recall when they started implementing the two day weekend - maybe because I wasn't in Oman at that time - but they drove us mad by making us have 7-9 periods of different classes and tons of books to carry on our backs. Now that was slavery.

As I grew up, though, I always thought that the two weekend applied to the entire working sector of the country. So howcome is it, that the sector that works harder, and earns less only gets one day off while the bozos in the air conditioned offices, and beauricratical issues far up their asses sitting for only 7-8 hours a day for 5 days of the week get more holidays, more pensions, more benefits and two days for the weekend?

Where's the justice in that?

من قال

من قال أن الليل
لا يأتي قبل النهار؟
من قال أنه لن يموت
فوافته الأقدار؟
من قال أنه لن يحب
فوقع في الغرام؟
و من قال أن آلام الماضي
تفوت كما الأنهار؟

كم من قائل قال مقولة
فنسي الكلام؟
من قال أن العالم
ملجوم بالآثام؟
و من قال أن الحب
سررٌ و وئام؟

من قال أن الغرام
من نظرة الإنسان؟
من قال أنه لن يتألم
فتصّور الأمر سيّان؟
من قال أن الدنيا تحب الإبتسامة
فكلّما رأى وجهٌ، رأى الكراهية و البغضة و فتان؟

و من قال أن الدنيا لعبة
فوقع في المتاه؟

و من قال أن الحب نظرة
فكلّما رأيت وجهها، بكيت نفسك هجاءً؟

The Da Vinci Code

Critics have given it the worst, the bad, and the good reviews.

People who have seen it say it's all worthwhile the wait.

People who haven't are either wondering what the fuss is all about or why it took such a long time for such a movie to show itself on the big screens of Muscat (?) .

The release was on the 19th of May.

Today is the 21st of June.

Which means that almost a month has passed since the clash of the critics and reviewers and still Muscat is to wonder..

Is it really all worthwhile?

Are you going to seek the answer?

BBC calls it quits for TOTP

Top Of The Pops, that most popular British music programme is being called off the air by BBC executives with a finale by 30th July, 2006.

The show that debuted as a six episode promo for music back in 1964 is having intense competition with other 24 hour music TV channels worldwide.

I remember back in the 80's when I used to watch the show relegiously back in '86. It was my only connection to music since I was still hung up with one beat in my head - Michael Jackson. Nowadays, my colleagues call me the movie and music buff because I know so much - according to them - about the two inter-related industries.

I will really miss the show. Even though I won't be able to see it over here in Oman.

----

Source:

BBC calls time on Top of the Pops

Emotional Plead

Don't ask me to look elsewhere
For I can only see you
Don't tell me that there will be a day
That I will find another one, because all I want is you

You've shut me down
I can't think anymore
I can't seem to look anywhere
You're in my thoughts; everywhere

I tried to smile but it seems too fake
I tried not to cry but the best I could do was only shed a tear
I tried to say no to the circumstance
I tried not to give in to what was going on with me
But all it did was made me more confused
Like seasons in the sun
Summer is here, and winter is now gone

Leafs throw themselves at the ground
People walk over them as if they are some past thoughts
I don't want to be like them
I want to be myself no matter what anyone may have said

Because of you
The sun doesn't smile at me in the sky
Because of you
The moon no longer winks my way in the night

Give me back my life
Give me back what feelings you have taken
Give me back please
My heart

the backwards phenomenon

Does it seem to you like everything is going backwards these days or is it just me?

Genders are gradually doing what the other does; men wearing earings; having pony-tails; and in addition to that all wearing indecent feminine style clothing and color. The slogan from Giordanos "World Without Strangers" may come to a reality now that this phenonmenon is upon us.

Everything seems to making a backturn into the olden days. Individuals are now listening to 80's music more than any other time in history - perhaps even during that era. People are now more into history than into future findings. They are more curious about past affairs than what they should be looking upon that is around the corner.

It isn't exactly something that should alarm the population mass, but it is something well worth looking into.

Wouldn't you think?

Lost Hope

A day isn't a day without you
My life is nothing without you
I feel so much emptiness
The wind knocks me over from thinking of you

I am the like the raindrop on it's way to the ground
I evaporate into thin air before I have the chance to make a sound

My chances are slim of ever seeing you again
But I still hold on to hope before the sun sets down

I have sadness in my eyes
A gasp of seeing you in surprise

Thorns of a red flower cause me to bleed
I pay no attention as I am taken away by your sight with such ease

Do I dream?
Do I wake myself up?
I'd rather live this
Then wake up to the reality of lost hope

you don't know where you're going until you know where you've been

I can't really decide about something.

Actually, I can't really decide about a lot of things that are on my mind.

What are these thoughts that occupy my mind and why do they so when I least need this annoying feeling? I feel like I have fallen down some long well and I slipt into a long tunnel of darkness - much like the tunnel the Rabbit takes when he's late in Alice In Wonderland.

I was going to post on the blog something about trying not to look into my actions or even into me because you would just get busy with the busy bees inside my head passing the commands from my brain to the nerves to the muscles to the bones to the hands to the feet - well, you get the picture, don't you?

I felt it inappropriate that I would leave today's post empty as I would never do that unless I was under heavy pressure from real life work.

Yet.

Sometimes.

I just wish that I could tell where I am going in this life. Some kind of glimpse of a hope. Something that would show me that things are only going to get better.

There's a famous saying that goes "You don't know where you're going until you know where you've been". But that's just it. I already know where I have been. Much like the other saying that goes "Been there. Done that".

Don't tell me that things take time. I hate that kind of fairytale hopeful ending thingamajig.

Don't ask me to occupy myself because God only knows that I barely show my face to the world around me and that still isn't enough.

Am I being pessimistic here?

Arab UAE Community Blog - Part II

So everything is back on track, just in case you were wondering.

Apparently it was just a glitch with the Blogger online system as someone had posted something as a reply to some post and didn't try republishing it so that it would refresh the whole blog.

And in case you were wondering where, or what this blog is all about, then you can try pointing your mouse to the blog's name on the right hand column with their coordinated name.

Or if you're just too lazy to do that; you can visit it here: Arab UAE Community Blog.

Cheers!

the most pathetic excuse in the world

So I finally decided to talk about my thoughts on the World Cup 2006.

Why the whole world is so obsessed with a game that's been around for centuries is beyond me. I have no love for sport. Although I have always played sports when I was young but just for fun and because I was so young.

But now, I have grown up.

I have other hobbies that I attend to. Things that benefit me mentally more than physically. True that some people may find it somewhat weird that someone such as I to not be a football fanatic less than a sports maniac, but I however think its a matter of taste, and keeness to do something that you are really into.

And football is something I am not into.

And this opinion just gets stronger by the day throughout this period because I see the whole world having fun while the rest of the globe is in poverty, hunger, thrist, and at a challenge to change the way things are going on in a way politically, socially, economically and environmentally.

In short, this whole scene makes one truly think of the saying "while the cat goes away, the mice come out to play".

-----

"you kids go on play ball while I go on and ruin the world when you don't know".

inner deepest secrets

I don't expect anyone to ever to understand me - ever.

I have always had this issue around me that makes people think that I am some brick wall always built up to just argue. I won't say that I agree with them; nor will I say that I disagree either. I just won't judge upon them, because I know one thing for sure. They haven't been where I have been in life, nor have they gone through the difficulties I have known my entire life.

I won't share those inner deep secrets with anyone, because no one is worthy of my trust in my opinion from the other sex - sorry, ladies, but this isn't quite a sexist remark as you may think it is.

You're probably saying to yourself that I would one day change my attitude and my thinking pattern to the better. Maybe so. Then again; maybe not. All I am saying is that I don't believe that such a day would come.

What kind of a day am I speaking of?

The kind where you would see for yourself that you have found that one and only.

The kind where you would give up everything you ever worked for your entire lifetime for a simple second with the other half that completes your every minute on this rachid Earth.

Why?

Because no one is ever worth of such a truth.

No one at all.

Time-Tamed Soul

Finding the way
To describe you
I have no words
Only truth

Of life and fame
I want not
Of love; pure love
I want only one

Rosy red personality
That would bring from within
The impurity of my life's
Unfolded pages of shame

The shadow of the walls
Scream away at me
They scream of pain
Of low self-seteem and self-pitty

They throw their claws at me
The abuse me, obscure me

I hide with the pain, and the garnish
I hide away my feelings, experiences tarnished

I have no one to hold out their hand to me
Yet, I call out to you..

---------

To the shining star
In my sky
To the ever gleaming lifeline
That is thrown to me at this time

I ask that you forgive me
For writing this letter
For showing my emotions
And not waiting until you were better

I feel like a fool
Full of shame
The lamplight on my lonely street
Has been broken and thrown away

To the shining full moon
That smiles upon me this very night
The tears I cry now
Are offerings of my time-tamed soul that is torn aside...

Crystal, Josephine

Crystal, Josephine chime
Forever the is the wind that blows at my line
Chaos is the cure
Potential is often thought pure
But what is seized is declined

Crystal, Josephine chime
The point of a rythem is to make one and not rhyme
Beauty at will and grace
Forever is the passion that stands with a trace
But when all is gone, all you have left is no time

Crystal beware
Of the rachid snears
Crystal beware
Of the crocodile tears
Josephine stands
All but to help
The tale of a past
Is yours to forget

Crystal, Josephine chime
Forever is the heart's wound that goes uncleansed and dry
Passion is the beauty
The beauty behind the trust
To fathom the interpretation
To seek the truth is a cause that is just

Crystal, Josephine chime
Seek, 'tis the truth, you will find

Inspired by the movie: V For Vendetta

so whose going to pay for this?

In the ever broadening effects of how our economy is 'booming' nowadays (and yes, by 'our economy', I do mean the Omani economy), there was an advertisement in the local newspapers published by the Muscat Wastewater Services Company S.A.O.C. - which, in case you never knew - is a state owned company that has it's services diverted into one organization instead of being a whole with Muscat Municpality - stating that there will be a charge for sewage services for each household that uses the Muscat wastewater company services.

Ironically, this project was given a go-ahead by the state and thus being approved by the Muncipality - proving to be the country's largest budgeted project, to date. A project, which no one asked for (not that I am saying that it is not of great use) and moreover being charged for it.

So in a sense, we have inflation in the country by over 3% (refer to Ministry of National Economy general information catalogue), plus the fact that our Omani Rial is pegged to the US Dollar which is now at such a low level you can actually fill up the space to become a swimming pool as long as your back yard, and not to mention our salaries don't actually grow on trees which plunders away with other maintenance bills, charges and debts.

By the time I reach 35 years of age, I would probably have to earn a living by getting 3 jobs - not one to cover all my expenses.

Do the public authorities have an answer to this rising epidimic?

Ramadhan & Eid

Ramadhan and Eid beginnings have been established, astronomically. According to a local newspaper.

The article that contains the newsclip states that Ramadhan should start by the 24th of September, 2006 and that Eid would commence on the 24th of October, 2006. Although a local citing of the moon's crescent will not be available until the next day.

Here's a blessed Ramadhan and an Eid Mubarak to all of you in advance!

Arabic UAE Community Blog

Another blog which I partipate in by the name of Arabic UAE Community Blog, has had it's entire contents erased - or perhaps it's a blogger glitch - with nothing but the header left.

We are hoping to reach to the matter at hand as soon as possible.

In the meanwhile, you can ferret around the other bloggers' sites available on the 'net.

thinking out loud

My life isn't as eventful as it has been anticopated ever since I started work almost 2 months ago. And I had just visited The Muscati's blog and read their latest blog enteries which pretty much the same, that although their life is now pushing them to the extreme they wouldn't know where to put their spare time to thus the lack of their enteries during the last month.

If you asked me whether I would see myself ending up in that situation some time back, I would given you a definite no, because writing is passion, no matter what it is that I write - even if you should see it as pure trash.

So the same question now applies to me but right now at this time, today. And to be honest, I would give it a 50/50 chance of whether some day I would stop altogether blogging/writing, not because I am super busy (which I am, by the way); but because I am now finding it unbelievably harder to write down what it is on my mind because my mind is now set into 'work mode' thus switching the Eastern hemisphere off that stops my thoughts from reaching my finger tips. :D

I don't know. This is me just thinking out loud, I guess.

why most businesses fail in Oman..

Its no wonder businesses in Oman take such a long time to surface because of the 'legal' procedures that one has to take to ensure that thier business is up and running as it should be. Hence the typical business statement "80% of all new businesses are doomed to fail within the first three months".

From getting a bunch of autographs where one has to obtain a signature of some Minister in some place high up and that takes a certain 'kiss ass' procedure that one must train themself to so they can get the proper effect (i.e.: would your nightmareness like his ass kissed more?)

And from then on there it is off to the proper authorities who show no sign of approval once confronted with the business matter and tell you to come back when they call, which is most probably when Hell freezes over unless you know an insider who can offer to finish it for you within a glimpse of that period for a small 'tiny' fee.

And when all is said and done, your business has probably gone off the chart you predicted in the first place and thus you lost your opportunity.

I mean, come off it, you have to pay as much a redicilous amount to have your own advertisement banner on the inner street. And who does the money go to? I wish I could say to charity, but it goes to a bunch of slobs who do nothing better than sit at a round table disucssing movie magic and eccentric analyzations of their work colleagues.

The development cycle of an economy must be applied to both the public and private sector, equally, may I add, too.

Unforunately, this is not the scene in Oman.

Leave, Please..

Let's say from a perspective that this is a perfect world
then why do we hurt; live in pain; cry a tear at night?
let's just say that we live for ourselves
isn't the purpose of a life that we live to reach a goal in our life?

I saw your eyes
I saw your sight
I just wished the sky would topple over and drop over me

I don't want to know anything about you
I don't want to see you or hear you
I don't want to feel what feelings you bring up in me

I only wish that I would just get on with my life
I only wish that I could forget that you were ever there
I don't want to be reminded of your existence
the denial of your presence

night clouds over
a chosen profession of my heart
that it hides away
lies away
succumbing to anything that is a challenge
except what relates to you

I am sorry
I no longer believe
I have my own life now
so I'd like you to leave, please

Nobody knows what love truly is..

The greatest thing you'll ever learn
Is to love and be loved in return.

~ From "Unforgettable with Love" by Natalie Cole

Heavens Gates (Part 2)

I am but a small soldier in your heart's quest, do I seek
The door, open, would fall through
The side of the world that is bright
One, that would show me the light
Until a time
Everything would turn out to be clear

Small emotions build up like a mountain
The life we live is just a list of things to be done
While we think that our life is not our own
In order for it's pace, to slow down

A red rose would be there
Waiting for you
The light feeling of caress
Would shine on through

freedom of expression in Oman

It has been widely discussed that the issue of freedom of expression in the Sultanate of Oman is a much taboo subject. Something that not many people have freedom to talk about, freely.

This subject is under the microscope of contradticory developments in the media expansion process which is now underway in Oman with the release of many new publications to come into the Omani market.

But forget about what is the underwritten law of which you should never talk about politics, or relegion or even social pattens in the Omani social community. Forget about all of that for just a second. What is it that we really are discussing here in Oman, anyhow? It is the internal affairs of a state and not something that would (God forbid) cause an overthrow in the power of the political system. But what we are discussing are things that would develop the social, environmental, economical and perhaps political cycle to a better momentum.

Now that's not something bad, is it now?

So then, we come to another question in this topic. Where does one usually do this to grab the attention of the audience?

The media, of course.

But the media is subject to the Ministry of Information's beauractical hierarchy of communcation systems just like any other government organization in the country that has been operational since 35 years. And it is to this ministry that the responsibility goes to discuss the implications that could or would have dire consequences on the country's stability in the social spectrum.

Given that as a reason for the benefit of the doubt, there is, though, not much freedom to say what should be said about the country that would help bring in the developmental cycles into overdrive.

Something that a lot of people, up there, should be thinking about.

Hope you're hearing us, people.

Don't Stop

The blog world seems to have taken a vacation now seeing that summer vacations are up and running, or others have found new lives to uptake such as work, marriage or perhaps a time to take to their own.

The thing is that with most bloggers; is that they blog out of choice when they would like to. But not out passion. Something which not many of the writers behind the blogs share as a feeling or an inspiration to get into the 'business' of handling topics that deal with issues of current state.

There are those that uptake blogging as a means to write up their daily or not-so-frequent diary book and not having their up close and personal thoughts engraved into the lines between. There are others who prefer to write of what is going on in their side of the world and how they feel about it and what they feel their opinion of the whole situation is. Yet there is still another group who blog just for the sake of blogging, as such. As it is a writer to just write.

It is that group that don't give into the circumstances no matter what they may be to stop blogging or writing whatever may ever happen. From poems, short stories, to just writing opinions about almost anything.

It is to the first group that this post is dedicated to.

Don't stop.

To The One & Only

To the one and only
I will never find
Of true love – not materialism
My one heart desires

I beg you
I beceit you
Take me out of my pain

Of the unhappiness I live with
The loneliness that looms over me
With nothing to gain

Of true love
And heart dwelled desires
Of ripped souls
And emotional anguish and fire

Of matters of love
And the soul to gain

Where the hearts cry
Tree leaves die
Birds stop chirping only to sit and stop by
To see the scene of a heart that it is to die

The clouds rain in tears
Sadness turns into fear

The light that once lit this room
Is now fading away
Until another time for it to bloom
By the mystic hands of another love, that would face the worldly problems, no matter which way

His Life..

Years have gone and passed away
Experiences taken in and sadness looms over its prey

'Tis the broken heart that speaks
Emotions full of dwellings and screams

Battered chaotic assumptions are what this soul finds
To twirl in a vicious cycle, endless through time

The future grieves on its past
The past of which is lost in the present; somehow
Why does he try to understand?
When living is for mortals; creatures made of mud and sand

Years have gone and passed away
The life we live isn't what it is anyway
No heart, no soul to belong to within this mist

Of all God's creatures, he could be the only one
With a loneliness that fills in as a second home

It takes his hand
Cradles him to sleep
Tears out of his eyes
Of loneliness and anger, they weep

And now the truth is set
Like his lonely king-sized bed

For a morning – cold – to wake up to

For a night – alone – to sleep to

For an evening meal, with only thoughts to talk to

The truth was set
And now the years have gone and passed away
This is the life he lives
Will it change, one day?

Dangerous Games

Have you ever seen those movies where you get to see a creator of something so sophisticated and complex to the point of having to set its eyes on its creator as the first prey?

Movies that challenge or encourage that sort of an idea or behavior are, without a due, very dangerous. Even though they portray the most realistic special effects and stories to make it oh so believable to the point that you could actually believe them. Its those type of movies that we should be scared about. Not because of their scenarios or FX but because they influence a more challenging culture into the minds of unknown prey. Just like a silent venom lurking within, hunting, waiting, for the perfect moment to strike away. And when it does - God help us all.

The influence of such movies on people who are influential are those that have hidden ideas, suggestions of which we carry forward with our experiences to make it seem so normal. But like the pretty much 'unknown' case of using an illegal technique way back in the 1970's in the USA, whereby an unsuspecting audience of movie-watchers were tricked into watching a set of adverts before a movie and then given a small break before it started to see the effects of it. What happened that Coca Cola had used an illegal method of screen advertising called subliminal messaging which simply put is flicking the main frame of a product's brand for 1/10th of a second. The audience doesn't know what hit them but the effect is still there, unconciously; causing them to buy more of the product during that small break before the movie.

Such is the idea of using movies in that sense.

But this time the subliminal messaging is encoded into the story. What meets the eye is an innocent looking movie whether it is a cartoon/action/thriller/romance and so on and so forth. But the smart ones are those who figure out what's between the storylines of the different characters and the 'action' of the movie itself.

This doesn't mean that one who should analyze and re-analyze what the story is going on about. But it doesn't hurt to be cautious, either.

Either way, those with devious deeds are out there preying on us seizing every moment they can get their hands on to tighten the air on us until we are like the ring on their fingers.

Question is here: Are you going to let them polish you like that?

SYRIANA

From writer/director Stephen Gaghan, winner of the Best Screenplay Academy Award for 'Traffic,' comes 'Syriana,' a political thriller that unfolds against the intrigue of the global oil industry. From the players brokering back-room deals in Washington to the men toiling in the oil fields of the Persian Gulf, the film's multiple storylines weave together to illuminate the human consequences of the fierce pursuit of wealth and power. As a career CIA operative (George Clooney) begins to uncover the disturbing truth about the work he has devoted his life to, an up-and-coming oil broker (Matt Damon) faces an unimaginable family tragedy and finds redemption in his partnership with an idealistic Gulf prince (Alexander Siddig). A corporate lawyer (Jeffrey Wright) faces a moral dilemma as he finesses the questionable merger of two powerful U.S. oil companies, while across the globe, a disenfranchised Pakistani teenager (Mazhar Munir) falls prey to the recruiting efforts of a charismatic cleric. Each plays their small part in the vast and complex system that powers the industry, unaware of the explosive impact their lives will have upon the world.

-----

Being released finally in Muscat, on 7/6/2006.

Heaven's Gates (Pt.1)

There is only the sun
And the sea
There is only us
You and me

There is only the world
Us and them
Children cry, weap
And vent

There are only wars
Of which we see
The lives of thousands, millions
Dead because of greed

There is only life
To free us now
To help us smile
In a time where we wear a frown

There are only our loved ones
Whom we cherish the most
There is only our family, our relatives, friends
To be there to kneel on

There is a time
There is a place
There is life we all aim to live
And yet, there will come a day

No more wounds
No more heartbreaks
No more pain
No more sounds of shattered souls in our ears

There will only be a day
For us to smile
For our life to be so white

And the single red rose for an ever twinkling in someone's crystal eyes

(to be continued..)

life as we see it

Anais Nin:

The personal life deeply lived always expands into truths beyond itself.

is our money being wasted?

How many times has anyone seen the restructuring of Muttrah Corniche area in the last 30 years?

How many times have the public authorities changed and changed and changed the lighting style of the highway?

Those are but a few questions of what this topic aims to raise awareness to.

You will have noticed that of late there has been an increase of 'special' taxes that perhaps no one in Oman knows about except those who go and visit 5-star establishments and tourist spots. The 12% tax that comes down to many other taxes of which part of it is for the Muncipality, another is for tourism purposes and lastly just plain business tax.

It may not come down as much on the final consumer of the product/service.

But let's look at it from another perspective.

This tax money that accumilates over the months and years rises up to a huge amount that is used by the many establishments that caretake these funds from these companies. And when you find out that a certain organization - like Muscat Muncipality, here - you start to question their methods of spending their money even though that the cash that you helped maked is a measely amount compared to the money raised by official govermental organizations.

The point that I am attempting to get to is this: if I am indirectly spending money into the economy's drive for restructuring such as the two examples given at the beginning of this topic, shouldn't I at least be notified of such projects to see how I would approve of it or not?

I may be just one individual who feels like this. But if every one individual felt like this, would you treat us all the same way?

Disclaimer: This topic is by no means meant to point fingers at anyone but is here to make an example of how the writer feels that there should be more transparency in the modern world we now live in.

funnily enough

I stepped into Pizza Hut Qurum tonight. And it was overcrowded. And I thought the streets were bad enough. All colors, all races were there. All that harmony. Yada. Yada. Yada. Yea...

More to the point of this whole post.

I was beginning to see a pattern in all the people who were coming and going out the restaurant. Husbands. Wives. Kids. Toddlers. Good thing that you couldn't bring in your pet to the place. Who would bring in their Goldfish in this heat? Fish fingers anyone?

And the thing I began to realize is that I would grow up and still be single. He he he. What a joke. I'll end up being one of those bold and beautiful characters...all toughened up with muscalarity and experience.

Hmm..

Not exactly the type of thing to be looking forward to .. is it?

POSEIDON

This is what happens with global warming:

You lose the icebergs.

Jack and Rose fry on a desert island after Rose trades in Jack to an ice cream stand for a a refreshing lemonade and an extra nicle.