Isra Wa Mi3raj holiday

It's been passed onto me, that Saturday would be a holiday for the Islamic celebration of the Prophet's Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) Ascending & Descending from Earth to the high Heavens and vice versa.

May this holiday leave a holy mark in our hearts and cleanse our souls from the petty world that we live in, inshallah.

In case such a holiday comes to the surface, I wish everyone a great holiday.
Peace.

do you remember... the future?

The DeLorean cars are making a comeback after their spotlight attention in the Back To The Future trilogy of films.

Read on here.

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Links:

- DeLorean being brought back from the future?

- Los Angeles Times: For the DeLorean, it's back to the present

- DeLoreans make a comeback

newly bought books

Although I am no avid reader to books and novels ever since my break up with them when I was in the UK, I do have a tendency to buy - between now and then - a few good stories that people would recommend to me or rather keep talking about until I find it in myself that I have a yearning to find out just what it is that makes them so fond of such a story.

In this context, I went out yesterday to the Family Bookshop here in MQ and bought two books by Paul Coelho. The first being the infamous 'The Alchemist'; and the second, titled 'The Zahir'.

I read a few lines of each book and found them to be gripping me to read more, so I decided upon then to purchase them. I have yet, though, to find out, what they are both about. But something tells me that they are going to be nothing short of an illustrious imaginary journey between the reality I live in to the wells and the depths of the deepest oceans of the soul.

37 years in the making

It's been reported in the Oman Tribune that:

The Ministry of Regional Municipalities, Environment and Water Resources is carrying out a comprehensive study to assess hazards of flooding in the areas affected by the recent unusual weather conditions in order to identify the natural and unnatural reasons which caused the flooding and to find solutions to avoid such damage in future.

So, in actuality, this study took 37 years to be realized in necessity when the government gave out land properties to the citizens in wadi streams and after such immense damage was done throughout the years that the Sultanate had a large amount of rainfalls in?

Wow.

And I thought I was slow.

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Link:

- Flood causes to be studied

hi ho, hi ho..

Ok.

So, today was my first day back to college and resuming my insurance course.

And boy, was it ever so boring.

We had to endure 4 whole hours - seperately - of indemnity, excess and subrogation.

And God help me if I understood any word we took today because all I could ever hear was 'blah, blah, blah, blah..'.

Per Your Request had asked me to report in about what we took on everyday at the course and to ask if there was anything that I never understood. I am turning the question on him now to answer on those three topics.

man's nature for more

What is it about the nature of mankind that pushes him to yearn for more? More power, more wealth, more health, more of everything almost that he could get his hands over.

Over the years and centuries of time, mankind has waged wars against other civilizations in the name of 'humanity', 'religion' and 'honor' of a nation but most wars that have been raged upon civilized countries, groups of culture and continents alike, have all had a mystical cause behind it.

The power that man looks for to have more grasp, to hold something in their name. To change the world as they please and should anyone choose to do so, then it is a death sentence against him and his world that he has known for some time.

We yearn for more health (never to die), for more wealth (more money power), more ownership. S

So, in reality, the human being wants to become immortal in all he senses. But in these disadvantages, there are advantages that bring us to realize that with everything that is being realize that the power also pushes them to aspire and become better at what they can do so well.

So, in short, it is the ultimate person immortality tool in addition to the

stop wondering & start realizing

Many a time it has been that I have sat and wondered 'what if' and 'why not' when I was in my younger days. But the days of wonder have passed by and come to a stop. A new phase in my life starts now whereby I take in what is around me, what surrounds me, what grips me at the edge and start realizing that what needs to be done must be applied instead of having to wonder about it for days at a time.

It's a time for me take some heartfelt decisions and prepare for the consequences that follow.

This is a phase of where most of us choose to ignore by simply following half the structure through realization but forgetting about application of the method. A person such as that can only start to imagine the suffering that they would through in the future.

That alone is cause for a progress in their routine-life-cycle.

Rush Hour 3

It is fairly dissapointing to see that the Shatti Plaza cinema here in Muscat has chosen to 'low level' movies as opposed to viewing the much anctipated Rush Hour franchise in it's 2nd sequel: Rush Hour 3.

They chose to pay a handsome amount of money to view other movies before their worldwide debut such as Live Free or Die Hard; Spiderman 3 amongst the top 'blockbusters' of this past summer. But what baffles me is that they cannot do this for a number of other movies, considered to be in the top list of movie-goers here in Oman.

I guess that's the strategy of a monopoly; give them what you think they want and if they don't like it they can always wait for the DVD.

will the real idiot please stand up?

Here's an open letter to the fine motorists that ride the Omani 'freeway' system:

Stop slowing down in the middle of the fast lane just to see that policeman fine a speeder, or a person trying to change his car tire. It is getting on everyone's nerves and you're the reason why everyone is late to the place they want to get to in the middle of the day.

one of those days

I would have loved to have posted about my experience on resuming the insurance course back here at the College of Banking and Financial Studies. But, as it happens - fate had it's other plans for me.

I was staying over at my relative's place just having fun, and as the hours passed by, time came upon me to bid farewell and go back where I belong. As I came walking down the stairs, I was approaching an edge that I hadn't noticed. I slipped, and fell down the remaining stairs.

I had to be taken to the hospital because the pain was too much, and after x-rays were done, it turned that - Thank God - I had no broken bones, just some very major bruises that would take their own sweet time to heal.

So I ended up staying over at my relative's place for the night and missing out on the first day of resuming college.

tomorrow, tomorrow

Tomorrow is the day we resume our Insurance course at the College of Banking & Financial Studies.

I hate it, but someone has to do the dirty job, I guess.

Maybe it'll be a bit better this time around.

postively contradictory

I have no references to this information except the Internet and I can't seem to find the pages where I got it from, so all those who are about to debate with me - please forgive me.

I had read sometime - not too long ago - that the financial status of the country is positive during May and June. Although, at the same time, the Central Bank of Oman - CBO - issued a statement saying that the level of inflation in Oman had reached 3.2%. Whereas the level of inflation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is 2.6%.

How is it possible to give out such a positive and contradictory statement about the economy is beyond me. Especially after the blow of a disaster such as Gonu.

Does anyone have an explanation?

Scrat in New York

the third book

I'm being constantly asked about my third book ever since I had reached out to the Ministry of Heritage to give them a few copies of my last two books for them to sell off to the Indian public in an organized visit by them to help and encourage Omani English Language writers to write more.

I honestly don't have a final answer as to how long it will take to finish this one off, but I will say that I will take my time on it. I want to develop it further than what the first two had achieved in their little popularity in the local market.

You can still find copies of the first two books at both the Family Bookshop & The Turtle's Bookshop. If you can't, then please let me know and I will personally deliver them to you - inside or outside the country.

Thanks to everyone who is asking.

Ramadhan approaches..

Around September 14th, 2007, the Sultanate of Oman will be embracing the holy spirit of Ramadhan. The month of which the Qur'an was bestowed upon our Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) and from him to the world of Islam.

I am hoping that this year would be a lot different; that it would promise that this nation can aspire a great many heights to where it should be. That it would stop the clash of civilizations that is looming upon us all. That it would also stop people in their steps only to look around and appreciate what is being given to them and give back through doing good deeds, and praying to the Almighty Allah.

I hope this year, we can all breath the clean air of spirituality and truly say from our hearts: Ramadhan Kareem.

Fresh Prince of Bel Air - Bloopers

first Omani 'online' quiz

A first of it's kind - Omani 'online' quiz - has been conjured up by an Omani national as part of the ongoing celebration of the 37th Rennaisance that the country is currently celebrating this year.

Its based upon a number of facts that you have to look up in predefined books and if you win, you get to win several prizes from cash to other accessories and mobile systems & the such.

The quiz is open for all nationalities who reside within the Sultanate of Oman only. The questions are all in the Arabic language and so is the website.

To check out the website, click here.

The Butterfly Effect 2

I find the Hollywood urge to make sequels out of epic movies simply ineffective. I mean, The Butterfly Effect (part 1) was a good concept for a movie but it ended there and then. So why should there be a need to make a sequel?

Unfortunately for us in Oman, this movie was released a long time back (I think early 2006) and it's been screened now in our cinema theatres.

The Butterfly Effect 2 holds the same concept but about a couple of teenagers other than Ashton Kutcher (Punk'd & That 70s Show).

The movie will be released at Shatti Plaza this Wednesday, 25th July, 2007.

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Link: - The Butterfly Effect 2 official website

TimesofOman.com: This is the world we live in

Below is the new article for this season that has been published under my name on the TimesofOman.com website.

Leave comments if you wish..

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Unfortunately, the time has come for us to think more and more about our actions and what we say and do behind the walls and doors of our own private courts, simply because the world we now live in is no longer the world we recognize.

I know that most of you who read these words would have some kind of questionable look on your faces because of that comment only because I wrote not too long ago on this very column about me and my philosophical look towards the world we live in by saying that 'the world we live in has not changed, it us who have changed because we are more aware of it now". And that statement stands true today as it stood on that day.

It is because we so much aware of what goes in our lives and the world that surrounds us that we fear the inevitable. The fear of having to come face to face with what we have to in the future –– near or far. Thus us trying in every way possible to push it further away.

Some of us take up a hobby to pass the time so as not to think about it. Others enjoy writing on what is on their minds contemplating the troubles that they would have to face in order to find out some sort of solution in the exercise to put at ease the mind's troubles. Others just think on and on and do nothing whatsoever.

No matter what the issue is here, you would rather see yourself running away than looking at the problem eye to eye. Even though you work on the issues that do run in your way, you still end up escaping from the reality that you yourself are trying to get away from.

Look at it this way, you get a job and you start having no time at all for things you want to get focused on. Let's say some rest, some food, some love (the clean type). You end up trying to make some more time in order for yourself to have an escape route show itself in your path so you can route for it at the nearest possibility. That's escapology.

The ill choices conceived by the human mind are the cause of this mental mayhem. They push us to make the mistakes that we wished we never would do. They ask us to do what we said we would never attempt to do unless there was no option. The economy that we live in expects us to be a part of the producing clan. The one who can rise up at 6am come back at 7pm with no complain whatsoever. It expects us to be robots. The type that would push on further and further and always asking for more. Something more of a dream; is it not?

The power to fulfill one's needs is to attain the ability to move in the right direction otherwise your whole mind, body and entire soul might push you to hallucinations, doldrums, and illusions that you are living 'the dream of your life'. Which you are truly not.

The ill choices that we conceive as human beings must be rectified. The expectations that we choose should be our own and not the society's. Not the family's. Not the world's. It should be our own little 'gem'.

Because, in the end, who are we really doing it all for?

Us.

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Link:

- TimesofOman.com: This is the world we live in

Little Tortilla Boy - Pablo Francisco

This man was featured on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.

He's really funny, although, this video is the only one I could find for him online, the other ones are blocked by Oman-God damn them-Tel, because they are published on metacafe.

For more information about Pablo Francisco, you can check him out on his website.