Software that tracks mood swings across the ‘blogosphere’ and pinpoints the events behind them could provide more insightful ways to search and analyse the web, researchers say.
The software, called MoodViews, was created by Gilad Mishne and colleagues at Amsterdam University, The Netherlands. It tracks about 10 million blogs hosted by the US service LiveJournal.
“I noticed […]

For the last month while I’ve been cramming for finals I’ve tried to keep blogging everyday for the sake of keeping up to date with worldly events but I’ve been slacking off in other departments. For example, I havenâ??t had time to clean my apartment so I’m now living in a dump and the sink […]

A few weeks ago an Israeli family dressed as pilgrams attended the service for Lent at Nazareth’s Basilica of the Annunciation and set off “firecrackers” inside the church. It caused outrage within the city but recieved little media coverage. Israel claimed family member’s were “mentally unstable”.
However, evidence from subsequent court hearings and police investigations has […]

Thousands of students gather to hear their election candidates debate on the University campus. There are currently 7,095 students at Birzeit University, 81.3% of which voted in these Student Council elections.

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Mary Geday, This Week in Palestine, 19 April 2006
I’m a teacher. My students are
Lollypops, different colours, but all
Taste the same. Red can’t pay for
School. I offered to help. He wouldn’t
Accept. He’s home in Jenin - “don’t want to be
Talked to or heard.” Blue was called for
Interrogations by the greens on his way to
Work. He hasn’t […]

The Jordan River: This is where Joshua parted the waters and crossed over to Jericho. This is where John baptized Jesus. The site is holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims, but all have done little to save it.
Yesterday on Earth Day an Israeli mayor and a Jordanian mayor met in their kayaks mid river (this […]

Coming this June to a theatre near you: National Agenda Episode II…
The government will present the executive programme for the National Agenda in June, Minister of Public Sector Reform Salem Khazaaleh confirmed on Wednesday. Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Khazaaleh said priority would be given to projects designed to alleviate poverty and reduce unemployment.
He […]

The Palestinian government spokesman, Ghazi Hamed, said on Wednesday: “I think the Jordanians themselves know more than anybody else the total mendacity and falsehood of these charges. They know that Hamas doesn’t indulge in such activities.”
Hamed also told Al Jazeera.net he hoped that some Arab states would refrain from resorting to “twisted tactics”.
“We are under […]

This is probably one of my favorite batch of songs. Usually during finals the likes of Beethoven, Bach and Mozart make an appearance as appropriate background music for studying. But an actual song will find its way into the stereo. Mostly mellow stuff, so if you’re not digging mellow stop reading right about now.
I’m not […]

The words of the Qur’an have both an outer and an inner meaning, the latter overpowering. Do not regard the surface alone, for the devil never regarded Adam as mere clay. The surface meaning of the Qur’an is like a human torso, features visible, but the spirit hidden.
- Rumi, “Mathnawi”

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I tried, I really did try.
After half a life time of spending most of my years sleeping in the daylight and coming out in the night time, I tried for several days to adjust my lifestyle to better suit my fundamental biological requirements; primarily an attempt to ease up on my cognitive functions (or […]

Prince Hashem on Saturday welcomes guests to the Royal Court, where King Abdullah hosted lunch for tribal and refugee camp leaders, journalists, diplomats, senior officials and officers in celebration of Prince Hashem’s marriage to Princess Fahdah, daughter of Sheikh Mohammad Ben Ibrahim Ben Suleiman Abu Niyyan. The Monarch and other Royal family members also welcomed […]

Things are not looking so good since a 78 year old Christian Copt was killed when three Muslims attacked two Churches in Alexandria on Friday. At the man’s funeral clashes broke out between Copts and Muslims as they attacked each other with sticks and stones (and apparently bones were broken).
The authorities say the killer […]

Libya marked the 20th anniversary of a deadly US air attack with a middle-of-the-night public concert featuring 1980s US soul-pop crooner Lionel Richie and Spanish tenor Jose Carreras.
“Hana would be happy tonight,” said Richie during his performance, referring to the adopted daughter of Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi who was among the 40 slain in the […]

pro·cras·ti·nate Pronunciation (pr-krst-nt, pr-)
v. pro·cras·ti·nat·ed, pro·cras·ti·nat·ing, pro·cras·ti·nates

To put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness
I have the worst study habits in the world. My procrastination drives me to unmatched levels of insanity every time finals come around. I am however grateful that graduate finals don’t tend to carry as much course weight […]

The measure of human stupidity is infinite…
Three knife-wielding Muslims attacked worshipers at Coptic churches in Egypt’s second city of Alexandria on Friday, killing one and wounding at least 12, police and medical sources said.
The assailants, each armed with two knives, mounted almost simultaneous attacks on churchgoers in three separate neighborhoods and were later arrested, a […]