As we enter October, there is no doubt in my mind that 2007 has been an incredibly bad year for Jordan. The gap between the poor and the rich has increased to the point where you can see it as clear as day and night. The government has done little about that. Media reform is […]

The Grizzly Bear is huge and wild
He has devoured the infant child.
The infant child is not aware
It has been eaten by the bear.
- A. E. Housman

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Action Committee is a group affiliated with Family International Jordan, and they arrange outings for kids from impoverished areas, such as the Baqa’ refugee camp. This Ramadan they’re distributing large “Ramadan Food Bags”. Each bag includes staples such as rice, sugar, dates, pasta, tomato paste, tea, beans, lentil, oil, maggi and amar al-deen.
Those familiar with […]

An anti-corruption group says three Arab states are among a dozen worldwide where corruption has seen a significant increase in the past year.
The Arab nations named by Transparency International were Jordan and the Gulf states of Bahrain and Oman.
The Arab countries with the least perceived corruption were Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. [BBC] and […]

Stepping out of a car and walking up the street towards yet another interview the other day, my boss tells me: “there has never been a worse time to be a writer in Jordan.”
Its statements like this that tend to fester.
I don’t consider myself a journalist. I don’t have a degree in journalism. Never went […]

The Muslim Brotherhood has announced that their political wing, the Islamic Action Front (IAF), will participate in the November 20th parliamentary elections, putting an end to weeks of speculation.
Look for their withdrawal at around 11am on the day of the election.
Right before the vote rigging gets underway.

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Our Father
Which are in Heaven
White man owe me eleven and pay me seven
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done
And if I hadn’t took that
I wouldn’ta get
None
- Negro Folk Secular
Modern slavery?
nuff said.

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Mohannad Al-Khatib leaves ATV.

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I don’t know anymore. I would say it’s a sad day, but I can’t remember one that wasn’t. Long story short, the Jordanian government is going on, what can best be described as, an anti-online free speech jihad. A decision has been made to monitor websites (most likely including the rising popularity of blogs) and […]

Many people are already aware of the story that has grasped the heartstrings of Jordanians these past few weeks. A baby girl was found in a trash bin and almost crashed by a compressor had it not been for the grace of God. The search began for her parents soon after. I was surprised (if […]

Understanding the physics of God,
His Indivisible Nature,
Makes every universe and atom confess:
I am just a helpless puppet that cannot dance
Without the movement of His hand.
Dear ones,
This curriculum tonight is for the advanced
And
Will
Get
All
The blame straight
…
End the mental
Lawsuits
That
Clog
The
Brain
H
a
l
l
e
l
u
j
a
h
Baby!
- Hafiz

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Well the weekend is finally here and there’s really no specific topic for the day. Yes, I know, you all count on me for your daily mental stimulation, but it’s Friday, I’m fasting, I’m tired, and I really can’t spare the brain cells required to go into a well (enough) thought out post for your […]

Thank God it’s Thursday.
And that’s all I have to say about that.

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Now
That
All your worry
Has proven such an
Unlucrative
Business,
Why
Not
Find a better
Job
?
- Hafiz

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We live on a hilltop in Amman and usually cell phone reception is pretty good. I remember a few years ago people would actually park outside our house and make calls. This we thought was strange at first, until of course we discovered it was a hot spot for calling international and getting a clear […]

Before
Hip Hop
there was
Nat
King
Cole
Sugar Ray
and
Miles.
Cool
was
how
you
held a
cigarette
between
fingers or entered
a ring
or simply
found your stage
and turned your back
to the world.
- E. Ethelbert Miller

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