Rita and the Rifle
I'm listening to this song by Marcel Khalife right now. The song is called Rita wal Bonduqiyah, or Rita and the Rifle---originally a beautiful poem written by the late Mahmoud Darwish, and turned into a song by Khalife. People have interpreted Rita as well as the Rifle to be all sorts of things. Some suggest Rita was an Israeli (Jewish) girl Darwish fell in love with in his youth. Some claim she was a Palestinian lover who was killed; while others interpret Rita as the homeland torn away from its natives. Readers also interpret the rifle both literally and metaphorically. ...
The Muslim Sisterhood
[caption id="attachment_711" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Supporters of MB nominees, Mr. Esam Mukhtar (male) and Dr. Makarem al-Diri (female), marching on the streets holding signs that say, "Islam is the Solution.""][/caption] A recent law in Egypt requires at least 64 seats of the 444-member parliament in Egypt to be filled by women. This affirmative action policy aims to elevate the status of women, and some assume it is an attempt by the ruling NDP to offset the Muslim Brotherhood MPs. How will MB adjust to this? This article hints that the organization may nominate more Islamist women to vie for these seats despite ...
Off With Your Head
You're probably wondering about my musical inclinations lately. It's been a lot of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Cold War Kids, and even a little bit of Diane Birch and Carole King (I get in these moods). Diane Birch has quite the soulful voice and lyrics. The Kill Bill soundtrack (vol.1, and vol. 2) is a good one too when I'm doing some work. The weird concoction of sounds in that compilation is ironically soothing. Always Radiohead in my life, of course. I must say though It's Blitz!, the latest by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, has been getting some massive play time ...
Huckabee in East Jerusalem
I was surfing channels on TV the other day, and stumbled upon Mike Huckabee's show on Fox "Faux" News. I literally could not watch more than 30 seconds of it. My body convulsed in disgust. He was discussing the perils of the Canadian universal healthcare system. The poor victims who had to wait months to get surgery. Of course, in the American healthcare system you either don't have coverage, or if you do the insurance company refuses to pay for it. Why not talk about the victims of the healthcare system in your own country, Bozo? Anyway, this post is actually ...
Anger Management
This lady may have never had to endure a history of humiliation and slavery, but dammit she's angry! I was actually ready for her to start singing "We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V1nmn2zRMc[/youtube] It is no wonder Obama "birthers" (people who don't believe Obama was born in the US and therefore a citizen or a president) probably also don't believe in evolution, global warming, or science in general. They are impervious to logic. Even though the state of Hawaii, where Obama was born, has verified his citizenship and he provided a copy of it online, they still don't believe it. I ...
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Anger Management
This lady may have never had to endure a history of humiliation and slavery, but dammit she’s angry! I was actually ready for her to start singing “We’re Not... [Read more]
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Summer Days
500 Days of Summer is definitely a movie worth watching. It is loaded with a smart plot, script, and humor. Very well executed with great music that is as refreshing as the... [Read more]
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Women Must Judge
Women protesting in Egypt holding a sign that says, "No to Discrimination." The headline reads, “Council head faces judges’ ire over female appointments.” ... [Read more]
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500 Days of Summer is definitely a movie worth watching. It is loaded with a smart plot, script, and humor. Very well executed with great music that... [Read more]