Archive for January, 2006

I’ve ‘finished’ the Jordan Planet article on Wikipedia however it needs some clean up and what not, so I guess this is an alright start. Feel free to edit and add on to it responsibly. This was actually my first time every publishing anything on wikipedia so for all you wiki gurus: do your thing. […]



Black Iris Down

14Jan06

yamai wa ki kara
(sickness is a thing of the spirit)
- Japanese Proverb
note to self: need new spirit.
also, get some chicken noodle soup
and orange juice while you’re @ it

addthis_url = ‘http%3A%2F%2Fwww.black-iris.com%2F2006%2F01%2F14%2Fblack-iris-down%2F’;
addthis_title = ‘Black+Iris+Down’;
addthis_pub = ”;



I just heard this one, it may be old but it’s new for me.
An old Arab lives close to New York City. He would love to plant potatoes in his garden, but he is old and weak. His son is in college in Paris, so the old man sends him an e-mail. “Beloved son, I […]



* There is a high threat from terrorism in Jordan. Attacks could be indiscriminate and happen at any time and in any place.
* There have been a number of successful and attempted terrorist attacks in Jordan since 2001. On 9 November 2005, three suicide bombers killed 60 people and injured almost 100 in hotels in […]



This article written by Adri Nieuwhof and Walid Abdelhadi for the Electronic Intifada, brings new meaning to childhood fears of dogs.
The Israeli military is using dogs as a reconnaissance tool in its actions against Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including the Balata refugee camp in Nablus. The dogs’ actions are controlled remotely […]



Jordan has detained eight members of the Islamist group Hizb ut Tahrir shortly after they hung the outlawed party’s flags on mosque walls in the capital at the start of a Muslim feast, party activists said on Thursday.
The activists, who asked not to be named, said security forces arrested the eight soon after they hung […]



This is an interesting article on the BBC about the Fulla Islamic doll outselling the more brand name Barbie. I remembered this from Sabri Hakim who blogged about it on November the 7th and an interesting exchange of comments took place over there. Sadly I could not continue the discussion (sorry hareega) because of the […]



Ø¥Ù?Ù?ا Ù?Ù?Ù? Ù?Ø¥Ù?Ù?ا Ø¥Ù?Ù?Ù? راجعÙ?Ù?

While the number is unknown at the moment but…
“The number of killed is at least 200,” a medical source at Mina General Hospital told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“The figure is due to rise because most of the victims are in critical condition,” he said.
“We cannot give an exact figure because we received […]



An interesting read in The Star today which discusses the recent oil exploration in Jordan that is the largest and most extensive in its history. I blogged about this back in July and October 2005.
This section particularly interested me:
…A lack of infrastructure and resources for exploration is something that all the companies investing in Jordan […]



Well the new year has just started and already the news these days is a bit off the wall.
Israel Gets Robertson Back
In retaliation for Pat Robertson’s remarks about Ariel Sharon’s recent stroke being “divine intervention”, Israel Ministry of Tourism is pulling out of a $50 Million Dollar deal…let me repeat that…a $50 Million Dollar deal, […]



Back in November it was all the hype. Imagine: a secret memo detailing a meeting where President Bush contemplates bombing Al-Jazeera headquarters in Qatar and Prime Minister Blair talks him out of it. The Internet was a buzz with the news. How could a President think about bombing a building full of journalists that were […]



This is absolutely brilliant. It’s entitled “Timetable”

Black sign says: “We will leave Iraq”
White Sign says: “When we invade Syria!”
(notice the black and white theme)

addthis_url = ‘http%3A%2F%2Fwww.black-iris.com%2F2006%2F01%2F10%2Femad-hajjaj-on-us-withdrawl-from-iraq%2F’;
addthis_title = ‘Emad+Hajjaj+on+U.S.+Withdrawal+From+Iraq’;
addthis_pub = ”;



In Canada there is really nothing to do in winter. I mean there is really really nothing to do. Canadians like to ski and do somersaults on ice and other such activities that only white people are crazy enough to do. But I am a brown man. And I am cold. Actually I can’t lie, […]



Recently Australia and Canada have closed their embassies in Amman Jordan following suit with Britainâ??s’ decision earlier this week.
The Australian embassy has released a statement saying: “Reports suggest terrorists may be in the final stages of planning attacks against Westerners and places frequented by Westerners in Jordan,”
Sources say that neither one of these embassies […]



It turns out I won the ‘brilliancy prize’ for my poem “This Thing Called Palestine“ by way of the 2005 Andulasia Prize for Literature. I guess it’s something to add to the vanity section of my resume. You can read some of my other pieces at Paper Poetry…

addthis_url = ‘http%3A%2F%2Fwww.black-iris.com%2F2006%2F01%2F09%2F284%2F’;
[…]



Monday is the Day of `Arafah and Tuesday is Eid Al Adha, marking the sacrafice the Prophet Abraham, peace be upon him, was willing to make. So I just wanted to say Eid Mubarak to everyone and their loved ones!
I leave you with this halarious caricature by Emad Hajjaj…
The Eid Lamb

“Caution, Bird Flu!”

[…]