Month: June 2004

Selected posts from Year 1

Here is a selection of posts from the past year in no specific order.

A Year Of Blogging

Today, last year, I started blogging.
Yep, today is this blog’s first year anniversary.
WOW, how time flies by and how much fun it has been…

My first official blog post was about the NDC 2003 (North Africa Developer Conference). And man has it been a long way from there. Long but fast.

It all started with a little blog on Blog City that I never posted anything on 😛 Then I finally started writing when I moved to BlogSpot. And finally, I became a blog addict after moving the blog under Houssein‘s Rundom site.
A big thank you to Houssein for hosting this blog up to this day 🙂

A few days ago, I went through some of the blog posts throughout the past year, and it was so much fun reading all the stuff I wrote last year, remembering all the stuff I went through or thought about. It’s truly amazing.

This blog started as a place for me to make fun of life and the world around me, somewhere I could be sarcastic. Then at some period of time it became more of a diary detailing my everyday life. After that I started adding more and more topics and discussing more and more issues and well here I am today talking about a variety of things from politics to music to technology to cinema to life to Tunisia, …etc.
And I still feel I have a lot more to talk about.

As for the blog design, it has gone through an evolution itself. From a crappy default template on Blogger or Movable Type it has become what it is today.
I posted a while back about getting a new design ready for the anniversary of the blog, and well I do have a new design ready in photoshop but that will be implemented in phases.
I’ve already changed a few things here and there and will be making more changes as their time comes and they become necessary.

Where do I want to go with this blog?
I want to go wherever my mind takes me with it and I want to write whatever I feel like writing in it.
I want it to become an online reflection of my mind.

I’d truly appreciate any feedback on what you think about this blog? what you think about the design? what you think about the subjects I write about? anything and everything…

And as for me, I’ll be compiling a list of my top favourite posts from the past year for you all to check out.

A BUT in the Iraq Handover

As if to confirm what I said yesterday about the handover not being such a big deal and that it’s basically the Americans handing over the rule to themselves, this comes out:

U.S. administrator L. Paul Bremer has issued a raft of edicts revising Iraq’s legal code and has appointed at least two dozen Iraqis to government jobs with multi-year terms in an attempt to promote his concepts of governance long after the planned handover of political authority on Wednesday.

Some of the orders signed by Bremer, which will remain in effect unless overturned by Iraq’s interim government, restrict the power of the interim government and impose U.S.-crafted rules for the country’s democratic transition. Among the most controversial orders is the enactment of an elections law that gives a seven-member commission the power to disqualify political parties and any of the candidates they support.

The effect of other regulations could last much longer. Bremer has ordered that the national security adviser and the national intelligence chief chosen by the interim prime minister he selected, Ayad Allawi, be given five-year terms, imposing Allawi’s choices on the elected government that is to take over next year.

Bremer also has appointed Iraqis handpicked by his aides to influential positions in the interim government. He has installed inspectors-general for five-year terms in every ministry. He has formed and filled commissions to regulate communications, public broadcasting and securities markets. He named a public-integrity commissioner who will have the power to refer corrupt government officials for prosecution.

[Source: Washington Post]
[Via: Gulf Reporter]

Very very interesting…
Long live democracy!

Islamophobic Awards 2004

Designed to name and shame the best or worst anti-Muslims in Britain and beyond, the second annual Islamophobic awards ceremony took place in London last Saturday evening.

The awards were handed out at the Islamic Centre for England, in West London – although not surprisingly, none of the winners stepped up to receive them.

Here are the winners:

  • Most Islamophobic British politician: British National Party leader Nick Griffin
    This was most notably due to his “Muslim or free/fair/democratic – but not both” round of speeches during the recent UK local elections.
  • Most Islamophobic International Politician: Ariel Sharon and Jacques Chirac shared this award.
  • Islamophobe of the year: George Bush.
  • Islamophobic media award: The Telegraph newspaper
  • Islamophobic Media Personality: Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee.

[Source: Al Jazeera]

Iraq Handover: Done or Not?!

So, 2 days earlier than the announced deadline, the CPA has handed Iraq over to the interim Iraqi Government.

I’m sure the media will make a really big deal out of this and portray it as one of the greatest historic events of this decade.

But well, honestly, I don’t see anything big or different about it.
An American led Authority is handing over sovereignty and rule to an American puppeted Iraqi government. The American army will still be in Iraq, in fact there could be more on the way, and at the end of the day the final say will be the word coming from Washington.

Anyway, being my optimistic self, this can be regarded as a step forward, not as big as they would want people to believe, but still a small step forward.

Still, the real handover for me happens when true democratic elections are held in Iraq and the people really choose who they want to govern them.

It remains to be seen though whether the U.S. will let them choose who they really want, or if it has to be someone with the “U.S. Friendly” tag on them.

Freelance CEO

Well, for a limited time period only, I’m offering to freelance as a CEO.
So if you are interested in having me run your company; email me with a brief about your company and a fat juicy financial offer.
A picture of my main secretary would be a nice option to include with your email if possible.

This offer is mainly targeted at big multinational companies. Anyway, if you’re not that big, but you still think you are worth my time, send me an email and I’ll consider reading it.

Btw, I have no experience running a company at all. I just go with the flow and with whatever impulse I get. Could make you billions in profit and could crash your multi-billion dollar empire to the ground. Depends on the day.

I’m good with people, too good in fact, so good that I hate being around people and will only feel comfortable communicating through IM.

Business sense? Yeah sure. If you’re in IT, just stay away from whatever Microsoft is doing. You don’t have a chance.
Another industry? hmmm. Same thing; stay away from Microsoft, you don’t want their software ruining your business.

And well, we can talk about the rest later.
Talking of that, you’ll never see me, never know my real name, never talk to me directly, nothing!
The one thing you’ll know is my bank account number to be able to transfer my salary.

Now, let the offers begin…